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Hook .C n_ 









SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 




























































































Outward Bound 







SEAMANSHIP FOR 
YACHTSMEN 


BY 


FRANCIS B. COOKE 


ii 


AUTHOR OF 

“CRUISING HINTS,” “THE CORINTHIAN YACHTSMAN’S HANDBOOK,” 
“SINGLE-HANDED CRUISING,” ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


) * 
o > ) 



NEW YORK 

LONGMANS, GREEN & CO. 

LONDON: EDWARD ARNOLD & CO. 

1923 

{All rights reserved) 



BY THE SAME AUTHOR 


SINGLE-HANDED CRUISING 

ILLUSTRATED 

Demy 8vo 12s. 6d. net 


EDWARD ARNOLD & COMPANY LONDON 


^ a. 


« » * 



Made and Printed in Great Britain by The Birmingham Printers, Ltd., 
Hill Street and Station Street, Birmingham, England. 





^S) 


PREFACE 


There is a growing tendency among owners of small yachts to 
dispense with professional assistance, and in view of the difficulty 
of obtaining suitable paid hands at a reasonable wage this is 
perhaps not surprising. Anyone who first acquires a knowledge 
of the general principles of seamanship can with a little practice 
soon learn to handle a small yacht with confidence and will 
derive far more enjoyment from sailing than would be the case 
if the vessel were controlled by a professional skipper. 

In this little book I have endeavoured to explain the theory 
of seamanship and its practical application in simple language 
that should be intelligible to the beginner, for whose further 
assistance I have added a very full glossary of nautical terms. 
Although ostensibly written for the novice, it is possible that 
others who have passed the tyro stage may be able to glean 
some hints which will be of use to them, as the book is based 
upon some thirty years 5 experience of handling small yachts of 
many types. 

As it is desirable that the Corinthian yachtsman who sails his 
boat without professional assistance should know how to fit out 
his vessel and effect such repairs and renovations to her gear 
as may from time to time be necessary, I have devoted some 
space to marline-spike seamanship. In the diagrams of knots 
and hitches plain outlines have been used, as, in my opinion, 
such are easier to follow than more elaborate drawings, and I am 
indebted to my daughter Kathleen for the illustrations. 

F. B. C. 









CONTENTS 


“ Outward Bound ”. Frontispiece 


CHAPTER PAGE 


I. 

Introduction ..... 



1 

II. 

Small Cruising Yachts . 



8 

III. 

Getting under Way—Setting Sails 



17 

IV. 

Getting under Way (continued) 



27 

V. 

Seamanship under Way . 



35 

VI. 

% 

Seamanship under Way (continued) 



41 

VII. 

Heavy Weather .... 



48 

VIII. 

Heavy Weather (continued) . 



57 

IX. 

Bringing up 



67 

X. 

Moorings ..... 



76 

XI. 

Stowing Away .... 



82 

XII. 

Running Aground 



86 

XIII. 

Accidents ..... 



91 

XIV. 

Strange Harbours 



99 

XV. 

Rule of the Road 



106 

XVI. 

The Dinghy ..... 



116 

XVII. 

Roller Headsails .... 



120 

XVIII. 

Dinghy Sailing .... 



125 

XIX. 

Racing ...... 



131 

XX. 

Racing Tactics .... 



135 

XXI. 

The Care of Sails and Gear . 



142 

XXII. 

Fitting Out and Laying Up . 



147 

XXIII. 

Knotting and Splicing . 



155 

Glossary of Nautical Terms 



165 

Index 




185 










SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


CHAPTER I 

INTRODUCTION 

Yachting has the reputation of being a very costly sport and so, 
indeed, it is when the yachtsman employs paid hands and allows 
himself to be fleeced. But there are hundreds of people of com¬ 
paratively small means who own and maintain little yachts at a 
cost that compares favourably with that of many other open-air 
pastimes. Such yachts, however, are seldom heard of by “ the 
man in the street,” who gleans his ideas of the sport from 
photographs of large racing vessels and palatial steam yachts 
which figure in the limelight of the illustrated Press. It is not 
therefore altogether surprising that he should labour under the 
delusion that yachting is beyond the means of all but the very 
wealthy. 

Fortunately in yachting it is not always the man with the 
longest purse who gets most fun for his money. The owner of a 
little craft of four or five tons, who dispenses with professional 
assistance, reaps a far greater return for his outlay than the 
wealthy owner of a large yacht with a crowd of paid hands. If 
the former has to do all his own work he has the pleasure of sailing 
and navigating his vessel, whilst the latter, more often than not, 
is a mere passenger who has nothing to do but pay the bills. To 
my mind it is extremely foolish to pay others to do what you can 
very well do with pleasure yourself, and the management of a 
small yacht is within the capacity of anyone of average intelli¬ 
gence. Only those who have experienced it can appreciate the 
joy of a successful passage to some distant port when one has been 
solely responsible for the navigation and handling of the craft. 


B 


2 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


There is an extraordinary fascination about it that never palls, 
for custom cannot stale its infinite variety. Contending with such 
unstable elements as wind and water, no two cruises are alike and 
there is always some fresh situation arising to titillate the 
yachtsman’s interest. In the course of his travels, moreover, he 
visits many delightful old-world villages, of the existence of which 
most people have never even heard, and taking his floating home 
with him wherever he goes he is independent of hotels. 

Apart from the question of expense a paid hand is seldom a 
desirable shipmate in a small yacht. I am not referring to paid 
hands as a class, for those in large racing yachts are for the most 
part good sportsmen and loyal to their ship and owner. Inexperi¬ 
enced owners of little craft, however, are seldom fortunate enough 
to secure the services of such men, and are far more likely to fall 
into the clutches of the worst type of waterside loafer, whose chief 
aim in life is to fleece his employer and do as little work as he can. 
Yacht hands such as these always call themselves “ captain,” 
and they certainly do their best to “ boss ” the owner. 

As he sits in the train on his way down to join his little vessel, 
the yachtsman who employs a paid hand probably plans a nice 
little cruise for the week-end, but it is seldom that he carries out 
the programme. His “ captain ” will raise all sorts of objections 
to any project that is likely to take him away from his home for a 
night. Either there is too much wind or not enough, or else the 
tide is not right, and the wretched owner, afraid of exposing his 
ignorance, meekly submits. Instead of the delightful cruise that 
he has mapped out in his mind he is condemned to potter about 
for an hour or two in the neighbourhood of his moorings. After 
dinner, for the sake of company, he goes ashore to his club, whilst 
his “ captain ” joins others of the same kidney in the bar of the 
waterside pub he is in the habit of frequenting. The paid hand 
in a week-end yacht is a prince among loafers, for it is only on two 
days a week he has to make even a pretence of working ; for the 
other five he can pass his time propping up the wall of the afore¬ 
mentioned pub, discussing with his cronies the private affairs of 
his employer. And in this connection it may be remarked that 
the more amenable to imposition the owner, the better gentleman 
he is in the eyes of his “ captain.” 


INTRODUCTION 


3 


For his valuable services the paid hand will demand £3 a week 
or more as wages, and if the owner, when he returns to town on 
Monday morning does not leave sufficient food on board to keep 
the man for half the week he will be regarded as a mean skunk. 
In addition to these generous wages, custom ordains that the man 
shall receive a complete rig-out of clothes each season, which 
becomes his property when the yacht is laid up. As most of the 
garments are as good as new at the end of the season, the man 
sells them, knowing that he will get a fresh outfit the following 
spring. That is why one sees at every yachting port half the 
population clad in blue guernseys bearing the name of a yacht 
and club initials. 

Another way in which these “ land sharks ” prey upon the 
inexperienced yachtsman is in the matter of gear. They make a 
practice of ordering such new gear as the yacht requires, or rather 
that they tell the owner is required, and get a commission from 
the supplier on the purchase. The condemned gear they claim 
as their perquisite and sell to the local fishermen, who find it quite 
good enough to use for several years in their smacks. Every loaf 
of bread or pound of meat the man buys on behalf of his employer 
yields the former a commission, and if the owner, in self protection, 
brings his supplies down from town, he is contemptuously referred 
to as a “ nose-bag ” yachtsman. My advice to the budding 
yachtsman is to keep out of the clutches of these brigands at all 
costs. Buy a boat and learn to sail her yourself. If you feel that 
you cannot get on without a paid hand, give up all thoughts of 
yachting and save your self respect. 

Since the Great War the difficulty of obtaining young recruits 
to yachting has been much discussed and the question is often 
asked, “ What has become of all the sporting youngsters ? ” I 
think I can supply the answer to that question. If you go on the 
Portsmouth or the Brighton road any week-end you will see them 
by hundreds—tearing along on motor-cycles. And curiously 
enough quite a large proportion are speeding to the coast. That 
the sons of an island race should make for the sea is not, perhaps, 
surprising, but why is it that they stop short at the coast and do 
not go afloat on the element that calls them ? I believe it is that 
they are scared away from sailing by the bogey of expense. They 


4 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


have been brought up to consider the possession of a yacht the 
last word of extravagance, and it never occurs to them that 
yachting on a modest scale is within their means. Now, the first 
cost of a small yacht is no more than that of a motor cycle and 
sidecar, whilst the expense of upkeep is a good deal less. I am 
not overlooking the fact that the yacht will be a second-hand 
one and probably ten years old, whilst the motor cycle is new, 
but the depreciation of the latter is so great that in four years’ 
time the yacht will have the higher selling value. As regards 
upkeep, the motor cycle requires feeding with petrol and oil, 
to say nothing of frequent renewals of tyres and driving chains, 
the cost of which wo aid more than suffice to maintain a five-ton 
yacht that is used for week-ends and perhaps two or three weeks’ 
holiday cruising in the course of the summer. If the motor 
cyclist uses his machine for touring, which may be regarded as 
the equivalent of the yachtsman’s cruising, the hotel bills of 
himself and passenger will amount to a pretty penny in the course 
of the year. The yacht owner, on the other hand, can enjoy 
his week-end cruises at no greater expense than his railway fare 
and a few shillings’ worth of food, which he will cook himself. 
After a good many years’ personal experience of both, I can say 
emphatically that yachting is the more economical proposition 
of the two, and no youngster who can afford to go in for motoring 
need fear that sailing is beyond his means. 

Sometimes the tyro employs a paid hand, not with the idea of 
saving himself work, but with a view to tuition. He thinks that 
in this way he will soon learn sufficient seamanship to enable him 
to dispense with professional assistance and manage alone. 
This is a great mistake, for it is obviously not in the man’s interest 
to teach his employer how to do without him. Even if the owner 
were fortunate enough to secure the services of a paid hand of the 
best type, it by no means follows that the man would prove a 
good teacher. The professional seaman is more used to doing 
things than explaining why they are done and it is essential 
that the pupil should thoroughly understand the why and where¬ 
fore of every manoeuvre carried out. In seamanship theory and 
practice must walk hand in hand, and nobody can hope to 
become an expert sailor until he has a thorough grasp of the 
general principles. 


INTRODUCTION 


5 


In my opinion the best way for a novice to learn is for him to 
buy a boat and work out his own salvation. He will no doubt 
get into many scrapes at first, but, having to act on his own 
initiative in order to extricate himself, he will learn more prac¬ 
tical seamanship in a single season then he would in several years 
if he had a paid hand to think and act for him in “ tight ” places. 
Should the novice be lacking in self-confidence, however, it 
would perhaps be advisable for him to sail with friends for a 
season before buying a craft of his own. If he did not thus acquire 
a very profound knowledge of seamanship, he would learn to 
feel at home in a boat, to say nothing of gleaning a good deal 
of useful information about sails and gear. 

The novice must not run away with the idea that he can gain 
an extensive knowledge of seamanship by merely reading books 
on the subject, for he cannot. It takes years of practice and 
experience to make an efficient yacht sailor, but all the same, 
he can learn a good deal about the theory of sailing from books, 
which will be of great assistance to him in the early days of 
his novitiate. 

When, as a youngster, I bought my first yacht—a four-ton 
cutter—I knew nothing about sailing but what I had picked up 
from reading a little shilling handbook, but, nothing daunted, 
I went to Gravesend, accompanied by a friend who knew even 
less, to take delivery of the boat and sail her to Hole Haven. 
We were in trouble from the very first, as we fouled innumerable 
vessels in our struggles to get out of the Canal Basin at high water. 
We were ultimately pushed out ignominiously into the tideway 
by a man with a long quant. We were no sooner clear of the shore 
than ribald jeers from a passing barge apprised me of the fact 
that I had set the jib the wrong way up, and, hot with shame, 
I hastened to rectify the error. Then I had to repair one of the 
bowsprit shrouds which had been carried away in the dock 
scuffle. Hardly had I finished this when the mainsheet carried 
away. The gear was hopelessly rotten—and so was the boat; 
but fortunately we did not discover that until a later date. All 
the way down the river we were in trouble, which culminated 
in my crew falling overboard. However, all our breakages were 
temporarily repaired with the aid of fearful and wonderful knots 
of my own devising, my companion was rescued, and, as the shades 


6 


SEAMANSHIP FOB YACHTSMEN 


of night began to close in, the boat crept into Hole Haven. But 
I had made a passage—a short one certainly—and reached the 
destination for which I had set out, a successful achievement 
which gave me confidence in myself which I never afterwards 
altogether lost. 

The man who elects to teach himself to sail boats is bound to 
get into many scrapes, but provided that he keeps in compara¬ 
tively sheltered waters whilst he is learning, he is not likely to 
come to much harm. He must not be discouraged when things 
go wrong, but remember that he learns more from his failures 
than from his successes. It was a wise man who remarked that 
“ he who never makes a mistake never makes anything.” 

The novice must learn to use his brains. Every manoeuvre 
should be carefully thought out before it is executed, for hap¬ 
hazard methods will lead to little progress. If the plan adopted 
proves successful, a definite advance has been made, and even 
if it does not pan out as anticipated the effort has not altogether 
been wasted, for it will have been learnt that that particular 
method is not practicable under such conditions. The tyro, 
however, should not be content to leave the matter there, but 
endeavour to find out why the operation failed. If unable to solve 
the problem himself, he should submit it to some yachting friend 
more experienced, who will probably be able to explain it. He 
should make sure, however, that the person he selects as his 
mentor is really experienced, and in this connection it may be 
remarked that those who talk loudly in trains and other public 
places of their wonderful adventures afloat are usually novices 
themselves. 

Accompanied by a friend who is noted for his bluntness of 
speech, I was once travelling up to town from Burnham in a 
carriage in which there were several other yachtsmen. One of 
these was talking very boastfully of his boat and what he had 
done in her. My friend got more and more restive, and at last, 
when the talkative yachtsman claimed to have made a passage 
from Burnham to Harwich in some impossible time, he could 
contain himself no longer. “ Excuse me, sir,” he exclaimed, 

“ is it a boat you own or a-pigeon ? ” We heard no more 

of the gentleman’s yachting adventures that journey. 



INTRODUCTION 


7 


Although really expert yachtsmen are not given to “ gassing ” 
in public, the majority are keenly interested in their sport and 
will not mind in the least explaining away the difficulties of a 
beginner who is anxious to learn. The novice should try and find 
out not only how to do a thing but why it is done, for it is only 
thus that he can acquire a knowledge of the principles of 
seamanship. 

In the following chapters I will endeavour to give the beginner 
some hints on the management of small yachts, or, at any rate, 
on the evolutions most common in the practice of seamanship. 
Before becoming the owner of a yacht he will probably have learnt 
the names of the various items of a vessel's gear and also the 
nautical terms in common use by sailormen. He wall, however, 
be able to refresh his memory by reference to the spar and rigging 
plan of a pole-masted cutter on page 18, and he will also find 
a glossary of nautical terms at the end of the book. 


CHAPTER II 

SMALL CRUISING YACHTS 

“ What is the best sort of boat to get ? ” is a question that the 
novice may reasonably ask, but it is not by any means an easy 
one to answer. To reply that there is no best sort might convey 
the impression that any type of craft would suit his purpose, and 
yet it would be the correct answer, for the matter is one that must 
depend largely upon local conditions and the work for which the 
vessel is destined. It would be folly, for instance, to buy a 
narrow yacht drawing seven or eight feet of water if it is the 
intention to station her at Southend or Maldon, where the boats 
dry out at low tide, yet such a craft might be eminently suitable 
for the West of England where there is plenty of water at all 
states of tide. 

Yachtsmen are often advised to follow the lead of the local 
fishermen when selecting a vessel, it being contended that such 
craft have been gradually evolved from the exigencies of their 
home waters. This is no doubt true to a certain extent, but it 
must not be forgotten that the objective of the fisherman is not 
quite the same as that of the yachtsman. Although to both 
sailing qualities are a consideration, the former’s main interest 
is fishing, and his boat is specially adapted to such work. The 
yachtsman who blindly follows the lead of the professional may 
find that he has a craft that is not at all desirable for pleasure 
sailing. In the West of England, for instance, the lugger is 
extensively used by fishermen, in whose hands it is extremely 
powerful and effective, but for yachting purposes it is generally 
regarded as unsuitable. 


8 


SMALL CRUISING YACHTS 


9 


Some yachtsmen try to effect a compromise by changing the 
rig of boats built on the lines of fishing craft and other vessels 
used by those who seek their bread upon the waters. Thus we 
see luggers rigged as sloop*, barge yachts with gaff main sails, 
Falmouth quay punts bereft of their mizzens, and bawley boats 
with booms, but such modifications seldom prove successful. 
As a rule it is far better to select a vessel designed and built 
as a yacht, bearing in mind local geographical conditions and the 
kind of cruising it is intended to practise. If the boat is to be 
kept in a tidal harbour she must be of shallow draught and 
preferably fitted with a centre-plate, but if there is sufficient 
water for her to lie afloat at all states of tide a keel boat with a 
fair draught will be more suitable. Should one’s cruising ground 
be on the East Coast, the draught should not be much over four 
feet, or otherwise one will be debarred from exploring the 
innumerable delightful creeks and rivers that there abound. For 
such work extreme handiness is a quality to be sought after, as 
when working up a narrow creek over the tide it is essential 
that the boat should be quick in stays. If your fancy lies in the 
direction of deep sea cruising you can go to six or even seven feet 
in the way of draught, although it is not really necessary, but the 
boat you select should have a fairly long keel and not too much 
of her forefoot cut away. A vessel with a long keel is much 
steadier on the helm, and will sail herself on a reach with the 
tiller lashed for hours on end in a steady breeze. She will also 
heave to and ride comparatively comfortably in heavy weather. 
Until you have had considerable experience, however, you will 
be well advised to confine your cruising to short trips round the 
coast, and for such work a little craft of four or five tons, drawing 
not more than four feet of water, will best serve your purpose. 

It is possible that your choice of a yacht may be restricted 
by financial considerations, for if you have only a limited sum to 
spend on a boat you will have to make the best of what you can 
get for the money you have at your disposal. Even so, it will be 
prudent to exercise a little discrimination and, if necessary, wait 
for a year or so until you happen on a craft more or less suitable 
for your requirements. You will probably have all sorts of vessels 
offered to you in the meantime, and among them is likely to be 


10 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


a converted ship’s boat, for there are always some of these in 
the market. As they are usually offered at a very low figure 
they are rather attractive to the inexperienced. The mere term 
“ ship’s lifeboat ” suggests to the mind something very staunch 
and seaworthy, and a craft of six or seven tons, offered at about 
£30, certainly seems a lot for the money. It would be ungracious 
of me to damn such boats altogether, for in the days of my youth 
I owned several and had some of the best times of my life in them. 
But I know their failings and limitations, and I strongly advise 
the novice to have nothing to do with a converted lifeboat if he 
can afford anything better. And incidentally I would remark 
that I know of nothing worse in the way of yachts. They almost 
invariably leak, they are extremely unhandy, and their windward 
work is positively futile. On the other hand they have any amount 
of cabin room, although the headroom is rather restricted. Three 
or four impecunious youngsters by pooling, say, £10 apiece, could 
probably buy a vessel of this type and have a few pounds left 
over for emergencies. If they were not able to cruise very far 
or fast, they would get a lot of fun for their money and probably 
learn more practical seamanship in her than they would in a 
smarter yacht, for the man who can handle a converted ship’s 
boat efficiently can handle anything. 

If a converted ship’s boat appeals to you, buy one that some 
misguided enthusiast has already converted. Don’t convert one 
yourself, for that way lies the bankruptcy court. You may be 
able to buy a stripped hull for a few pounds, but by the time 
you have strengthened her and built up the top-sides, added a 
keel, bought ballast, sails and gear, furnished the cabin and 
provided the hundred and one articles that go to make up a 
yacht’s inventory, you will have spent far more than a second¬ 
hand yacht, well found and in first-rate condition, would have 
cost you. Although ships’ lifeboats are provided with small sails 
for use with a fair wind, they are designed mainly for propulsion 
by oars. They are consequently not strong enough to withstand 
the lateral stresses engendered when sailing to windward under 
a press of canvas. Even if additional floors be added and the 
garboards doubled, they begin to leak sooner or later after 
conversion, and then one is driven to that drastic remedy for 


SMALL CRUISING YACHTS 


11 


leaky boats—cement. If for financial reasons you are obliged 
either to buy a converted lifeboat or nothing at all, I should 
advise you to select, if possible, one that has the bulk of her 
ballast inside, comparatively light draught and small sails. She 
will not go to windward very well, but she may keep reasonably 
tight. Pumping a boat is no doubt very good exercise, but it 
is apt to pall when it has to be done every three or four hours to 
keep the water off the cabin floor. I once owned a converted 
lifeboat with an iron fin keel which drew more than five feet of 
water. She certainly went to windward very well, but—Lord !— 
how she leaked. 

Converted racing boats are sometimes to be picked up at a 
fairly reasonable figure, and they are certainly very fast and 
handy. But what you gain in speed you have to pay for in the 
way of comfort. The long overhangs are practically wasted, as 
they as a rule have neither sufficient depth nor beam to be of 
any use but for stowing sails and warps. Ex-racing craft, more¬ 
over, sail for the most part at a considerable angle of heel, which 
is rather disturbing to one’s domestic arrangements. To cook 
and enjoy a meal when under way is next door to impossible in 
a yacht of this description, and if you happen to run aground 
you are likely to have a very uncomfortable time of it until she 
floats again. The modern type of racing yacht is not a good 
sea boat, or at any rate she is not a comfortable one. It is true 
that she seldom ships green water, thanks to the flare of her 
overhanging bow, but when going to windward in a rough sea 
she sends aft a continual shower of spray which will find its way 
through any oilskins. And her overhangs slam abominably. To 
a yachtsman whose leisure is limited and to whom it is a matter 
of importance that he should get back to his moorings in time to 
catch a certain train, a converted racing craft possesses advan¬ 
tages lacking in slower craft. She will turn over a foul tide in 
a light air, conditions which would compel an ordinary cruiser 
to anchor, whilst in threatening weather her speed will often 
enable her to get into port before it comes on to blow hard. 

Another type of small yacht which has attained some measure 
of popularity of late years in districts where there is not much 
water is the barge yacht. Her chief characteristic is fine internal 


12 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


accommodation, and in smooth water she sails very well. Of her 
sea-going qualities, however, I am rather sceptical, for although 
I have never owned one myself, I have had opportunities of 
watching their behaviour in fairly heavy weather, and their 
sailing in such circumstances has never struck me as convincing. 
The barge yacht, moreover, is not in my opinion a desirable 
craft for a novice, as under certain conditions she is unsafe. 
A yacht of the ordinary type, having all or the greater part of 
her ballast on the keel, gets stiffer as she heels. The more she 
heels, in fact, the greater righting power has the ballast, and 
provided her spars and gear do not carry away, she may be 
hove down almost on to her beam ends with impunity. Now% 
the barge yacht, although she possesses great initial stability, 
loses it all of a sudden. When heeled to a certain angle her 
stability vanishes altogether and over she goes. And it must 
not be forgotten that the windage of her flat bottom will con¬ 
tribute to the disaster. I do not wish to suggest that small 
barge yachts are in the habit of capsizing, but the danger is always 
there, and in the hands of an inexperienced yachtsman a capsize 
is within the bounds of possibility. 

There is, however, a form of barge yacht which strikes me as 
a far better proposition. I refer to the semi-sharpie type, having 
the bottom in the form of a broad V. It was in such a yacht, 
of only five tons measurement, that Mr. Thomas Fleming Day 
crossed the Atlantic some twenty years ago, and she proved an 
excellent sea boat. Mr. Day’s Sea Bird did not come to this 
country, as her destination was Rome, and I consequently did 
not have an opportunity of inspecting the yacht, but I believe 
she was very similar to the eight-ton Skate, which was built 
about the same time by Mr. Howard Messer from his owm design. 
I have frequently seen SJcate sailing about in the Blackwnter 
and creeks round about West Mersea, and she is an astonishingly 
handy craft with a good turn of speed. Mr. Messer crossed the 
Channel and North Sea on several occasions in the vessel, and 
told me that she behaved admirably. A barge yacht of this 
type would be comparatively cheap to build, and would be a 
very desirable craft for shallow waters. The ordinary type of 
barge yacht usually has lee boards to give her the necessary 


SMALL CRUISING YACHTS 


13 


lateral resistance to enable lier to go to windward, but Skate 
is fitted with a centre plate which seems to me a much better 
arrangement. 

The question of rig is a very debatable one, as every yachtsman 
has his views on the subject. Personally I prefer the cutter or 
sloop rig for a small cruiser, and as about ninety per cent, of small 
yachts are thus rigged it may be assumed that the majority of 
yachtsmen are of the same opinion. As to which of the two is 
the better rig must depend largely upon the size of the boat. 
Simplicity is a quality much to be desired in small craft, and that 
points to the sloop rig, which requires less running gear than the 
cutter ; but there are other considerations that must not be lost 
sight of. When the sail area is divided up into a number of sails 
a certain amount of power and weatherliness is sacrificed, and 
it naturally follows that, ceteris paribus , the sloop will sail faster 
and point higher than a cutter of the same size and sail area. The 
natural inference is that the sloop is the more desirable rig, and 
so perhaps it is for quite small boats. 

For craft up to about four tons Thames measurement the 
sloop rig is very satisfactory, for such a boat is fast, Weatherly, 
and easily handled. The only running gear required consists of 
main, peak, and foresail halyards and topping lift. Above the 
size I mention, however, the foresail required will be too large 
for comfort and in vessels of five tons upwards it is better to 
divide the headsails into foresail and jib. Another objection to 
the sloop rig is that the large foresail has to be cut fairly low 
on the foot to make it stand on a wind, and a sail of such shape 
is a source of danger in bad weather. Should the boat ship a sea 
in the foresail, which is quite possible in heavy weather, the 
bowsprit may be carried away and take the forestay with it. 
The mast will then be left entirely unsupported forward, and may 
go over the side. This risk can be eliminated by the employment 
of an auxiliary forestay set up to the heel of the bowsprit. I 
adopted this method in my seven-ton Seabird when she was 
sloop-rigged, and did not find the extra stay at all in the way. 
It did not hinder the passage of the foresail when going about, 
and I found it very useful to hold on by when working on the 
fore deck in bad weather. The stay, moreover, kept the foresail 


14 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


sheets clear of the cleats on the mast when the boat was in stays. 
Another disadvantage of the sloop is that she cannot be hove to 
like a cutter when shifting headsails, which means that the 
operation has to be carried out under rather uncomfortable 
conditions. 

Above five tons or so there is, in my opinion, nothing to equal 
a snugly rigged cutter. She is fast, weatherly and handy, and, 
if the boom does not extend much beyond the tafirail, the 
mainsail is easily reefed. It is seldom necessary to shift jibs 
until the second reef is taken in the mainsail, and when that 
operation has to be carried out it can be done in comfort whilst 
the yacht is hove to. A cutter can often be nursed through a 
passing squall by lowering the foresail, which will relieve the 
yacht as much as taking down a reef in the mainsail, the foresail 
being a very pressing sail. When the squall has blown over, 
the foresail can be set again with very little trouble. If overtaken 
by a similar squall in a sloop it would probably be necessary 
to pull down a reef in the mainsail and shift the foresail. And 
changing foresails in a bad squall is not the most pleasant of 
jobs in a sloop. As soon as the outhaul is slacked away, the sail 
begins to slat violently in the wind, and is only mastered after 
a strenuous struggle. The boom, meanwhile, is banging viciously 
from side to side whilst the yacht plunges deeply in the head sea, 
threatening every moment to throw the yachtsman overboard. 

The yawl as a rig for small yachts has no attractions for me 
at all. It entails a lot of extra gear, and I never could see the use 
of an idiotic little sail perched on the tafirail, which is a nuisance 
both to set and stow. It is invariably the first sail to shake, and 
to make it stand on a wind it must be sheeted so taut as to rob 
it of any driving power it might otherwise possess. Theorists 
will tell you that in heavy weather the mainsail can be stowed 
and the yacht sailed under mizzen and a headsail. That, however, 
is a myth, for the small yawl has yet to be built which will handle 
reliably under such sail in really bad weather. Every sea will 
throw her further to leeward, and when the helm is put down 
she is almost certain to miss stays. In smooth water, with a good 
breeze, a smart modern yawl will no doubt stay under mizzen 
and headsails, but she will do the same under headsails alone. 


SMALL CRUISING YACHTS 


15 


Being outside the boat, the mizzen is a very unhandy sail to stow, 
and rather than take the trouble, the majority of small yawl 
owners merely furl the sail on the mast. With such treatment the 
sail soon gets very dirty and quite spoils the appearance of the 
yacht when under way. With yachtsmen who love to fly a club 
ensign under way the yawl will always be popular, as the little 
mizzen mast makes a fine flag staff. It is also handy for making 
fast the dinghy painter, and that is about all I can say in favour 
of the yawl rig for small yachts. 

The ketch rig is a much better proposition, as the mizzen is of 
serviceable size, but, in comparison with the cutter or sloop, the 
small ketch is a slow vessel. The ketch requires nearly twice 
as much running gear as a single-masted craft, and the position 
of the mizzen mast is apt to spoil the accommodation below 
decks. It is a particularly useful rig for ocean cruising, but I 
should not recommend it to a yachtsman whose sailing is for the 
most part confined to week-end trips round the coast. It may 
be, however, a desirable rig for anyone who wishes to sail single- 
handed a craft of some considerable size, as the mainsail of a 
ketch of twelve or fifteen tons is not too large to be handled 
by one man. 

The racing rig of to-day often becomes the cruising rig of 
to-morrow, and it is possible that owners of small cruisers may be 
tempted to adopt the Bermudian mainsail now in almost universal 
use for racing. Although such a sail makes for speed in light 
weather, I do not think it suitable for cruising purposes on account 
of the enormously long mast required to set it. Such a spar is 
not easy to stay efficiently, and the weight and wdndage of the 
long mast would be very punishing in bad weather when the 
mainsail was reefed. In the old days of topmasts we used to reckon 
that housing the topmast was equivalent to pulling down a reef, 
and it was considered unseamanlike to keep the topmast on end 
when the mainsail was reefed. The long mast of the Bermudian 
rig is in effect mainmast and topmast in one length, and those 
who adopt the rig will from necessity have to do in bad weather 
what was condemned as unseamanlike in the past. 

My brief remarks on the subject of rig have not been made in 
any controversial spirit, but solely with a view to assisting the 


16 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


beginner in his choice of a yacht. I feel sure that he cannot do 
better than commence his sailing career in a small sloop or 
cutter with a gaff mainsail, and in the following chapters, dealing 
with the handling of yachts, I shall assume that the reader is 
the owner of a five-ton cutter. 


CHAPTER III 

GETTING UNDER WAY—SETTING SAILS 

Getting a yacht under way may be the simplest thing in the 
world or, on the other hand, it may present a problem that is 
extremely difficult to solve. It all depends upon the conditions 
obtaining at the time, and as those conditions are never twice 
alike it will be obvious to the reader that no hard and fast rules 
can be given. Still, there are certain principles of seamanship 
which govern most situations, and when those principles have 
been grasped the rest is only common sense and practice. Before 
attempting to get his craft under way the yachtsman should 
take a good look round and make up his mind what he is going 
to do. Having decided upon his method of procedure, he should 
stick to it, for it is fatal to commence doing one thing and then 
change one’s mind. 

We will suppose that the yacht is riding to a mooring, head to 
wind and tide, and proceed step by step to get her under way. 
First of all we must remo\ e the mainsail cover. If the lacing is 
in one long length you will find it a rather tedious business. It 
is far better to have a number of short lengths of lacing, as it will 
save both time and trouble when putting on the cover or taking 
it off. It is rather astonishing that some more convenient method 
of securing a sail cover has not been devised, and in this connection 
I would suggest the use of press studs. The married man who is 
not unfamiliar with such requests from his wife as “Do me up 
behind,” will know what I mean, but for the benefit of the 
bachelor perhaps I should explain that press studs are little 
spring fastenings used on ladies’ dresses. They are as elusive as 

17 


C 


18 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 



Sfar and Rigging Plan of Pole-masted Cutter. 

A—Forestay ; B—Bobstay ; C—Masthead Stay ; DD—Fore Shrouds ; 
EE—Aiter Shrouds; FF—Runners; G—Peak Halyard; HH—Masthead 
Shrouds; J—Throat or Main Halyard; K—Topping Lift; L—Jib Halyard; 
M—JibOuthaul; N—Main Sheet; 0—Foresail; PP—Jib Sheets; Q—Jib; 
R—Burgee; S—Mainsail; T—Roller Line. 








































GETTING UNDER WAY—SETTING SAILS 


19 


the “ Scarlet Pimpernel ” to male fingers, for they love to hide 
behind folds of chiffon, or whatever the stuff is called, but when 
found they close with a satisfying click, and all is well. That is 
the sort of thing I have in mind, but on a large scale and very 
strong. The sail cover would have to be rather wider than usual, 
so that the edges would meet comfortably below the boom, 
but I am sure that a cover thus fitted could be put on or removed 
in half the time of one that is laced in the usual manner. When 
the cover has been undone it should be rolled up inside out so 
that it will be in readiness for putting on when the mainsail is 
stowed again. 

Having stowed the mainsail cover away in a locker, hook on 
to the gaff the main and peak halyards. Then overhaul the main- 
sheet—that is to say, pull the rope through the blocks so that the 
boom has a few feet of play. Now top the boom a few feet by 
hauling on the topping lift, and as you do so, keep an eye on the 
boom crutch, which may go overboard when relieved of the weight 
of the boom. Cast off the canvas tiers securing the mainsail, and 
stow them away neatly in their allotted place. The sail is now 
ready for setting. Hoist away on the main and peak halyards 
together, so that the gaff rises more or less at right angles to the 
mast. When the sail is about two-thirds of the way up, hook 
on the tack, if not already secured, and haul out the clew. Then 
continue hoisting the sail. When the throat is nearly in place, 
belay the peak halyard and transfer all your energy to the main. 
The luff of a sail that is properly set should be as taut as a rod 
of iron, and such conditions can only be obtained by “ sweating ” 
on the halyard. To sweat, or swig, on a rope is to pass the fall 
under a cleat and then, as one man holds it thus securely, another 
grasps the rope at a convenient position above the cleat and 
throws his whole weight on it, pulling away from the mast. 
Then, as the man sweating comes back preparatory to taking 
another heave, the slack is taken in by the one holding the rope. 
Enormous power can be put on a halyard in this manner, parti¬ 
cularly if the “ sweater ” places his foot against the mast to give 
him additional purchase. Having got the luff as taut as you 
possibly can, belay the halyard and turn your attention to the 
peak. Hoist away until slight wrinkles begin to show in the 


20 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


throat of the sail. These wrinkles are an indication that the sail is 
sufficiently peaked : they will disappear when the topping lift 
is slackened, as it should be when the peak halyard has been 
belayed. 

Before doing anything else, coil down the halyards. See that 
you coil them the right way, or otherwise they will kink and 
jam in the blocks when you lower the mainsail. All ordinary 
ropes should be coiled with the sun, or clockwise ; the only ropes 
ever coiled anti-clockwise being those which are cable-laid, such 
as lead lines and hemp warps. Having coiled the halyards, tuck 
the coils behind the standing parts. This will prevent their 
being washed overboard when the yacht is under way. 

As there does not seem very much weight in the wind we will 
set the topsail. Nowadays, practically all small yachts have 
pole masts and the topsail is set on a yard. But first we must 
lace the sail to the topsail yard. For the sake of convenience 
the yard should have a small thumb cleat at one end and a 
hole at the other. The head of the sail can then be secured 
to the yard by means of a small grommet passed over the end 
of the spar, being kept from slipping down by the aforementioned 
thumb-cleat. The foot of the sail is attached by a lacing rove 
through the hole in the other end of the yard, and the luff is 
made fast with a number of separate lacings. The sail is now ready 
for setting, and we proceed to bend on the halyard. The correct 
position for the halyard should have already been ascertained 
by experiment and marked on the yard. The halyard can be made 
fast to the yard with a topsail halyard bend, a rolling hitch, or 
a timber hitch. Of these, the first is not easy to get taut, but very 
effective when fixed up ; the second I have known to work loose 
on occasion ; and the third, although seldom used for this purpose, 
I find answers admirably. The tack purchase, usually a double 
and single block, can now be shackled to the tack of the sail, 
the lower end of the purchase being secured to a hook in the 
deck close to the mast. The sheet, which is always kept rove 
through the sheave at the end of the gaff, is now made fast to 
the clew of the sail, which is now ready for sending aloft. 

Before setting the topsail, hoist the peak of the mainsail three 
or four inches above its proper height. Now hoist the topsail 


GETTING UNDER WAY—SETTING SAILS 


21 


yard up to the masthead until it is chock-a-block, at the same 
time hauling on the sheet a little to keep the sail clear. Having 
belayed the halyard get the luff as taut as possible by hauling 
on the tack purchase. The clew can now be sheeted home and 
the peak of the mainsail dropped into its proper position. The 
topsail should then set as flat as a card. Now for a word of warning. 
Never belay the topsail halyard to a pinrack on the yacht’s 
covering board, for some day you may have to get the sail down 
in a squall and will not be able to do so if the halyard is buried 
deep beneath the water on the lee deck and you have not sufficient 
room to luff the vessel. The topsail halyard should therefore be 
belayed at the foot of the mast, where you can always get at it. 
And remember this : a topsail is always set or lowered to wind¬ 
ward of the mainsail when under way, for you can then see 
what you are doing and have more deck room on which to work. 
Moreover, if you handed your topsail on the lee side of the main¬ 
sail there would be a risk of its blowing out from the yacht and 
going overboard. 

When setting a topsail on a long yard it will be found a great 
convenience if a shackle be lashed to the foot of the yard. The 
fall of the halyard can be led through this shackle before com¬ 
mencing to hoist and by this means the yard will be kept up and 
down the mast and clear of the topping lift and other gear. 
If you do not fit a shackle as I suggest, you will have to keep a 
strain on the tack whilst hoisting to prevent the yard going aloft 
in a horizontal position. 

When single-handed a long topsail yard is an extremely 
awkward thing to handle, but a topsail can be set on a com¬ 
paratively short yard if the following method be adopted :— 

Through a bull’s-eye fixed on the upper side of the gaff close 
to the jaws, an endless rope, of sufficient length to pass beneath 
the boom, is rove. To this, when setting the topsail, the foot of 
the yard is made fast, the rope taking the place of the ordinary 
tack purchase. After the topsail has been hoisted the yard is 
brought into place up and down the masthead by means of the 
endless rope, which is then belayed. It makes a very effective 
tack for a topsail in a cruising boat, but can only be employed, of 
course, when the yard is of the same length as the luff of the sail. 


22 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Some small yachts carry a jackyard topsail. This is of greater 
area than an ordinary topsail, the sheet being attached to a short 
jackyard instead of to the cringle of the sail. By this means it 
is possible to have an extra cloth or two in the topsail. In racing 
craft it is customary to fit a guy to the end of the jackyard 
to keep the clew of the sail from sagging away to leeward, but 
in small cruisers this guy is usually dispensed with. 

Yachts with long mastheads sometimes carry a small jib- 
headed topsail for use on days when there is rather too much 
wind for the big topsail to be carried with comfort. In setting 
a jib-header, which is not laced to a yard, the halyard is made 
fast to the cringle at the head of the sail. 

Now let us turn our attention to the headsails. But first 
make sure that the bobstay is set up taut. Many small yachts 
nowadays are fitted with a standing bobstay, which may be a 
metal rod, a chain, or a wire rope ; but in some craft one finds 
a bobstay set up with a purchase. It is essential that this be set 
up taut before purchasing the jib, or otherwise you may pull 
the bowsprit out of the boat. The runners should also be set up 
to prevent the mast being pulled forward when setting the jib. 
Having seen to these little matters we will turn our attention 
to the jib. First hook the tack of the sail to the traveller on the 
bowsprit. I think I told you in the first chapter how I hoisted 
my jib upside down when getting under way for the first time. 
Well, I don’t want you to make such an ass of yourself as I did, 
and so I will tell you how such mistakes may be avoided. The 
luff rope of all fore-and-aft sails is always sewn on to the port 
side, and you can thus see at a glance which is the head and 
which the tack. Even on a pitch dark night you can tell by feel, 
and with this knowledge such a mistake as I made would be 
unpardonable. It is only the head and tack of a jib or foresail 
that you have to consider as the clew is only roped just on the 
corner. Now, remembering this, when you hook the sail on to 
the traveller see that the luff rope is sewn on to the left hand 
side, and you will then know that you have the tack all right 
and are not hooking on the head of the sail. 

Now hook on the jib halyard to the head of the sail. The lower 
block of the halyard, to which the sail is secured, is usually fitted 


GETTING UNDER WAY-SETTING SAILS 


23 


with sister-hooks, which should be moused—or, in other words, 
the two hooks must be secured by a few turns of twine tied 
tightly round them. If this is not done, the hooks may shake 
adrift whilst the sail is being hoisted. The sheets will probably 
be attached to the clew' of the sail by means of a shackle, and if 
you are wise you will also mouse the pin to prevent it’s coming 
unscrewed. Now we are ready to set the sail. 

The traveller, to which the tack of the sail has been hooked, 
is hauled to the bowsprit-end by means of the jib outhaul, which 
is rove through a sheave at the end of the spar. Haul on the 
halyard until the head of the sail is about half way up, then, 
having temporarily belayed the halyard, pull the tack out to the 
bowsprit-end and make fast. The idea of partially hoisting 
the sail before hauling out the tack is to prevent the traveller 
jamming on the bowsprit, which it would almost certainly do 
if the sail were lying on deck. Having belayed the outhaul, 
turn your attention to the halyard again and hoist the head 
of the sail right up. You need not sweat on the halyard if it is 
fitted with a purchase, as you can get it taut quite easily with 
the latter. The fall of the jib purchase is usually made fast to 
a pin-rail attached to the rigging. In the absence of a jib purchase 
you must set the luff of the jib as taut as you can by sweating 
on the halyard, as you did in the case of the main halyard. 
When the jib has been set, coil down the falls of both halyard 
and purchase and secure the coils as you did those of the main 
and peak halyards. The coil of the purchase can be hung over 
the pin to which it is belayed. 

The foresail is set in a similar manner to the jib, except that 
the luff of the sail is hanked to the forestay and the tack made 
fast with a line to the stemhead of the yacht. In small craft a 
tack purchase is not necessary, as the sail can be set quite well 
with the halyard. 

The method of setting headsails described above is that most 
commonly employed by amateurs, but it is not the most seaman¬ 
like. The chief objection to setting them thus is that they are 
slatting about in the wind all the time you are getting your 
anchor, or slipping the mooring, and you run the risk of getting 
a welt on the side of the head from the fore-sheet shackle, which, 


24 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


I can assure you, is not pleasant. A better and more convenient 
plan is to set the headsails in stops. This is done as follows :— 
Spread out the sail (see Fig. 1) and fold it so that the clew cringle 
just overlaps the luff rope (Fig. 2), then neatly roll up the sail to 
the luff rope, and secure it with rope yarns at intervals of about 
18 inches (Fig. 3). The sail then looks something like an elongated 
sausage. The tack is hauled out to the bowsprit-end on the 
traveller, the head hoisted with the halyard, and the sheets 
shackled to the clew cringle. Care must be taken when setting 
a sail in stops that the sheets are quite slack, otherwise the stops 
may be prematurely broken, and for the same reason the sail 
should not be purchased until after it has been broken out. 
Now, when the headsails are set in this manner they are not 



Fig. 1. 




Fig. 2. 


Fig. 3. 


in the way whilst working on the fore deck, and yet are ready 
for immediate use. When the services of jib or foresail are 
required, all one has to do is to haul on the sheet and, the rope 
yarns breaking away, the sail is set and can be sheeted home. 
For light balloon sails, such as a small yacht’s spinnaker or 
balloon foresail, I have found worsted makes the best stops, 
but it is not strong enough for working headsails made of stout 
duck. I have not touched upon the setting of balloon canvas, 
as this chapter is confined to the question of getting under way, 
for which only working sails are used. Extra canvas, such as a 
spinnaker and balloon foresail, will be dealt with later on. 

Should there be a fresh breeze the novice, when about to get 
under way, will probably be at a loss to know what canvas he 
should set. Owing to his lack of experience he is not able to gauge 
the strength of the wind wfith any degree of confidence, and is 









GETTING UNDER WAY—SETTING SAILS 


25 


undecided in his mind as to whether he shall reef or not. In 
such circumstances the best thing he can do is to play for safety 
and reef. He should be guided in his decision by the thought 
that it is much easier and more comfortable to reef whilst the 
vessel is lying at her moorings, or at anchor, than when she is 
under way. Moreover, it is far less trouble to shake out a reef 
than to take one down. Should he find, after starting, that the 
reef pulled down is not necessary, he can shake it out again in 
a few minutes. If, on the other hand, it is proved that the boat 
really required the reef in her mainsail, he can pat himself on 
the back for having done the right thing and think what a clever 
chap he is. It is not much use asking the opinion of a stranger 
who, not knowing the boat, will in all probability consider the 
question from the point of view of the capabilities of his own 
yacht. It is far better to rely upon your own judgment in such 
matters ; but if you err, let it be in the direction of safety. 

Should you make an error of judgment and set too much 
canvas, do not hesitate to rectify your mistake as soon as possible. 
Don’t run away with the idea that others wdll think you timid 
if you reef, for if they know anything about the game they will 
not. Even if they do, what does it matter ? It is better to be a 
coward than a corpse, any way, so use your own judgment 
and be hanged to the critics. Never carry on out of mere bravado, 
for by so doing you will only display your inexperience. The 
seasoned yachtsman does not “ carry on ” unless he has some 
definite object for doing so, and, knowing the risk he runs, you 
may be sure he is competent to cope with any situation that may 
arise. To make your poor little ship wallow under a press of sail 
is not heroic ; it is merely silly ; and if it be your object to get 
the greatest speed out of her you will not attain it by burying 
the lee decks beneath the water. The majority of yachts sail 
their best wdien just heeled to the covering board, and if pressed 
beyond that point their progress is retarded by having to drag 
the lee rail and rigging through the water. 

The most comfortable conditions for reefing the mainsail are 
when the yacht is riding to her mooring, or anchor, head to wind. 
First hoist the sail about half way up, so that you can get a good 
view of your work; then, if it has a loose foot, secure the 


26 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


reef-tackle to the earing (also called a pendant) belonging to the 
particular reef you propose to take down. Then haul away on 
the fall of the tackle until the reef cringle of the sail is boused 
down to the bee blocks on the boom. The earing must now be 
securely made fast, care being taken that it does not slack up 
in the process. The most convenient way of making fast the earing 
is to belay it to a strong cleat under the boom, but should there 
not be such a cleat handy, it will have to be secured round the 
boom with a suitable hitch. For the sake of additional security 
take a short length of rope, or one of the mainsail tiers if you 
have not a piece of rope handy, and lash the reef cringle to the 
boom. The reef tackle should be cast off so that it is in readiness 
should you subsequently wish to take down another reef. Now 
roll the foot of the sail neatly up to the points, which must be 
tied with reef knots. Having hooked on the tack to its proper 
cringle in the luff, you can set the sail in the usual manner. 

If your mainsail has a laced foot, the tack must be secured 
before hauling down the leach, and it is particularly important 
that the leach cringle be boused well down to the bee blocks. 
If you leave any slack there, it is possible that the sail may be 
torn by the reef points, which are tied round the boom when 
the foot of the sail is laced to the spar. 

Should you leave the reef tackle under the boom, after hauling 
down the leach, be very careful that you do not tie it up with 
the reef points. If you are careless in that respect the tackle 
will not be readily available for use should you have to pull 
down another reef. Such advice may seem superfluous but, as 
a matter of fact, this is a trick of which most novices are guilty 
at times, and there is nothing more irritating, especially on a 
dark night, than to find the reef tackle tied up when you want 
it in a hurry. 

In small craft it is advisable to keep the first and second reef 
pendants always rove and the tackle on the boom, for if they 
are stowed away in a locker you may not be able to find them when 
wanted. When the first reef has been taken down the tackle 
should at once be made fast to the second earing so that everv- 

O v 

thing will be in readiness should it be necessary to reduce sail 
further. 


CHAPTER IV 

GETTING UNDER WAY 
(continued) 

The manner in which you will get your craft under way will 
depend upon the conditions obtaining and, as I remarked in the 
last chapter, no hard and fast rules can be laid down. In addition 
to wind and tide you may have to contend with obstructions 
to sea room such as vessels at anchor or shoal water close under 
your lee. So far as wind and tide are concerned, however, I can 
give you a rule from which you should never depart if you can 
possibly help it. If the wind is before the beam you can set 
all your sails before slipping your mooring, or getting your 
anchor, but should the wind be on or abaft the beam, the sails 
must not be set until the yacht has been released from her 
anchor, or mooring, as the case may be. The reason why the 
sails must not be set before getting the anchor when the wind 
is on or abaft the beam is that the sails would cause the vessel 
to drive up past her anchor, which could not then be broken 
out, as the yacht would be sailing it further into the ground. 
If you attempted to get the anchor under such conditions you 
would be pitting your strength against the weight of the vessel 
plus the pressure of the wind on her sail, a situation with which 
the strongest man ever born could not hope successfully to 
cope. 

A vessel under normal conditions rides head to tide, and if the 
wind is in the same direction it will be forward of her beam. 
The craft therefore rides head to both wind and tide. When such 
conditions obtain the sails may be set, as they will hold no wind 

27 


28 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


and when getting the anchor one merely has to pull the weight 
of the boat up to the anchor. It is the common practice, however, 
when getting under way, to “ heave short ” before making sail, 
or, in less technical terms, to haul in the cable until the vessel 
is almost over her anchor. When riding to a mooring, of course, 
this is not necessary, as you merely slip the chain, leaving the 
anchors embedded in the ground. 

We will now consider the best means of getting our craft 
under way under various conditions, and as we have set all our 
working sails we will first deal with :— 

Getting under way from a mooring when riding head to wind and 
tide .—Our sails are all aloft, the mainsail set and the foresail and 
jib hoisted in stops. Pass the mooring buoy under the bowsprit 
shroud and stream it. That is to say, let it float astern as you pay 
out the buoy rope. When doing this see that it goes clear and 
does not get hitched up on anything. Now, take a good look 
round and locate in your mind any craft brought up close to you, 
for you must be guided by such obstructions to sea room in making 
}mur decision as to the tack on which you will fill. We will 
suppose that it is decided to fill on the starboard tack, or, in other 
words, to cast the vessel’s head to port. By the way, a vessel is 
said to be on the starboard tack when the wind comes over the 
starboard side, and on the port tack when it blows on her port 
side. As we are going to fill on the starboard tack we shall have 
streamed the buoy on the starboard side. Had we decided to fill 
on the port tack we should have streamed it to port, passing the 
buoy beneath the bobstay, if necessary, in order to do so. Well, 
now we are all ready to slip from the mooring. Get hold of the 
buoy rope with one hand as you slip the mooring chain with the 
other and, as the chain splashes overboard, haul on the buoy rope 
for a moment before letting it go. This will help her to pay off in 
the desired direction. Starboard the helm—that is, put the tiller 
over towards the starboard side of the boat and break out the 
jib by a vigorous pull on the starboard sheet. As the mainsail 
fills and the yacht begins to go ahead, let draw the jib and sheet 
it to port, right the helm and break out the foresail to port. We 
are now under way, and if it is the intention to beat to windward, 
trim the sheets and proceed. 


GETTING UNDER WAY 


29 


Should you wish to run to leeward, the lee runner must be 
let go, the headsail sheets eased, and the mainsheet paid out 
handsomely, the helm being kept up until the yacht is right 
before the wind. For the benefit of the beginner it should be 
explained that to put up the helm is to push the tiller towards 
the windward side of the boat; when pushed towards the leeward 
side the helm is said to be put down. 

In the above instance I have assumed that we had a fair amount 
of room, but had other craft been brought up close by and our 
vessel hemmed in on all sides, there would have been a grave risk 
of fouling one of our neighbours. In such circumstances we should 
have to evolve some other plan, and I would suggest the following: 
The headsails would be up in stops, but the mainsail would not 
be set. Lead the buoy rope outside of everything, and make it 
fast on the counter. Then slip the mooring chain and let the 
vessel swing right round until she rides by the stern. Cast off 
the buoy rope, break out the jib, and run under that sail until 
clear water is reached, when the mainsail can be set. As it will 
be necessary to luff the boat into the wind in order to set the 
mainsail properly, no attempt should be made to set it until you 
have ample room to do so. 

The operation of getting under way is much simplified by riding 
to a mooring as by pulling on the buoy rope you can cant your 
vessel’s head in any direction you desire. Starting from an 
anchor, however, makes a much bigger call on the yachtsman’s 
seamanship, and in the early stages of his sailing career he is 
likely to find himself up against many a pretty problem. A little 
thought, however, will usually extricate him from a tight place, 
and he will soon learn to handle his craft with confidence. 

To get under wary from an anchor when riding head to wind and 
tide .—Provided that there is plenty of sea-room, the best method 
would be as follows : Heave short on the cable until the yacht 
is nearly over her anchor. Hoist the headsails in stops and set 
the mainsail, overhauling the mainsheet so as to allow the boom 
a few feet of play. We will suppose that it has been decided to 
fill on the port tack, and so, as soon as we have broken out the 
anchor, we port the helm. When a vessel is riding to the tide, 
and for a few moments after the anchor has left the ground, 


30 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


she can be sheered either to port or starboard at will. By putting 
our helm to port, therefore, the vessel’s bow will be cast to star¬ 
board, and to assist her to pay off on the right tack, either the 
jib or foresail should be broken out and belayed to port. The jib 
will be the more convenient sail to use, as it will leave the fore¬ 
deck clear whilst we haul up the anchor to the stemhead. Whilst 
we are thus engaged, the yacht, being hove-to, can be left to her 
own devices if there are no other craft in the immediate vicinity. 
When the anchor has been stowed, let the jib draw, break out 
the foresail, and proceed on your course. The method I have 
just described is comparatively simple, but the near presence of 
other vessels might render it impracticable. 

We will suppose, for instance, that we are hemmed in on all 
sides by vessels at anchor. The more we consider the position 
the less we like it. If we got under way in the usual manner we 
should risk fouling one of the other yachts whichever way we cast 
our vessel’s head. Well, perhaps the most seamanlike method of 
extricating our craft from her hampered berth would be by 
dredging. The operation known as dredging is carried out as 
follows :—The cable is hove short until the vessel begins to drag 
her anchor, which is kept just trailing over the ground by paying 
out or shortening in cable as required. By these means the boat 
is made to drift slower than the tide, and so long as such con¬ 
ditions are maintained she has steerage way and can be kept 
under control. This is a favourite method of bargees, who often 
use it to pass under bridges when all their gear is down on deck. 
It is a very pretty manoeuvre, but all the same I should not advise 
you to try it unless you are quite sure that the ground is clear 
of moorings and other obstructions. If you were to get your 
anchor caught up on a heavy mooring you would have great 
difficulty in clearing it, and might even have to leave your anchor 
and chain behind ere you could get away. 

If we merely had a vessel at anchor on either side of us, the 
position would not present any great difficulty, as we could drop 
astern after getting our anchor until clear of the obstructing 
craft and then break out our headsails. To make her pay off 
on the desired tack we should back the headsails—that is to say, 
belay them sheeted to windward. We must remember, however, 


GETTING UNDER WAY 


31 


that under such conditions we should be going astern faster than 
the tide, and the helm would have to be put over the reverse way. 
For instance, if we wished to pay off on the starboard tack we 
should belay the headsails to starboard and put the tiller to port. 
But the position I want you to consider is one in which you have 
a vessel brought up on either side of }mu, and several others 
astern. You are thus hemmed in all round, and are, in fact, in a 
particularly tight place. As there are numerous moorings laid 
all over the river, you dare not attempt to dredge. What, then, 
are you to do ? Well, I can see two or three ways of getting away. 
First, if the surrounding craft are not very close to you, by the 
use of the headsails and sternwav. Hoist the headsails in stops, 
but do not set the mainsail. Heave short on the cable until the 
boat is over her anchor. We will suppose that we have decided 
to come round to port. As the anchor leaves the ground, break 
out the headsails and sheet them hard to starboard. As the 
yacht begins to go astern, port the helm and keep it there until 
the yacht has swung athwart the tide. Then let the headsails 
draw and, as the yacht begins to go ahead, put the helm aweather 
until the wind is brought right aft, when the helm can be righted 
and the yacht sailed under headsails until she is clear of the 
obstructing craft and sufficient room obtained for setting the 
mainsail. If the manoeuvre be carried out correctly the boat will 
turn almost on her heel, but if the operation be bungled a collision 
may ensue. The novice, therefore, had perhaps better try some 
other method which, although rather more troublesome to carry 
out, will be safer. 

He could, for instance, extricate his craft by getting his anchor 
over the stern, but of course that will only be practicable if the 
anchor is not too heavy to break out by hand. Heave short on 
the cable and then bend on to it a stout warp. Lead the warp 
outside the bowsprit shroud and rigging to the stern, where it 
should be securely belayed. Then slack out sufficient cable to 
allow the yacht to swing right round until she rides tc the warp 
stern first. Haul in on the warp until the chain is reached, then 
get the anchor up on to the counter. As soon as the anchor is 
up, break out the jib and run before the wind until sufficient 
room has been obtained for setting the mainsail. The only 


32 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


objection to this method is the trouble of having to take the 
anchor and chain forward again. 

A third method would be by the assistance of a warp made 
fast to one of the craft alongside. Run off a warp to the vessel 
nearest at hand, and if there be no one on board of her to cast 
it off when required, pass it round her shrouds, bringing the end 
back to your own boat and making both ends fast to your counter. 
We will assume that the anchor chain has already been hove short, 
and that it has been decided to swing to port. Get the anchor 
and haul in on the warp, putting the helm to port for sternway 
to help her round. When the yacht has swung nearly, let go one 
end of the warp, break out the jib, right the helm, and run between 
the boats astern. As you haul the warp aboard, coil it down, 
and don’t forget to dry it before stowing away. 

An awkward position in which you may sometimes find your¬ 
self is that of being wind-rode on a lee shore with a mud flat close 
under your vessel’s stern. As the yacht is riding to the wind 
and not to the tide she will not take a sheer. The mud flat behind 
you, being too close to permit of a sternboard, you could not 
rely upon her filling on the desired tack if you got under way 
in the ordinary manner. The most satisfactory way of extricating 
your craft from this awkward situation is by sailing out the 
anchor. If you adopt this method you will not only be leaving 
the shore further and further behind, but also make the boat 
do most of the work. 

To carry out the operation you should proceed as follows :— 
Set the mainsail and jib and then work up to your anchor in short 
boards, hauling in cable as it slacks up, and going about when 
the strain comes on the chain again. After two or three little 
boards, which of course will be but a few yards in length, the 
yacht will sail right over her anchor. As she does so, snatch a 
turn round the bitts with the chain, and the boat will sail the 
anchor clean out of the ground. Then, as the yacht sails on 
towards open water, the anchor can be got aboard and the 
foresail set. The method I have just described has always appealed 
to me, and I invariably use it when getting under way from a lee 
shore. It is an operation that the novice can attempt with con¬ 
fidence, for he cannot very well go wrong. The vessel being under 


GETTING UNDER WAY 


33 


control before the anchor leaves the ground, it does not matter 
much which tack she is on when it is broken out. The yachtsman 
either succeeds in getting his anchor or he does not. If successful, 
all is well; but should he fail to break out the anchor, he has 
merely to let the boat drop back to her old berth and try again. 

I have frequently practised this method of getting under way 
w T hen single-handed, with complete success. As one cannot be 
at both ends of a boat at the same time, it is necessary to handle 
the craft without the aid of her rudder. To the beginner this may 
seem a very difficult proposition, but in reality it is quite simple. 
Having set the mainsail and jib, haul the jib-sheet aweather until 
the sail is aback and belay it, the mainsheet being trimmed as 
for sailing to windward. With the sails thus arranged the boat 
will forge ahead until the anchor is nearly abeam. The strain on 
the chain will then pull her head round, and she will go about on 
to the other tack and sail towards her anchor. As soon as she is 
about, begin to haul in the cable. As she gathers way the chain 
will come in so easily that you will have no trouble in keeping 
pace with the yacht. As she comes over her anchor, snatch a 
turn of the chain round the bitts and let her sail the anchor out 
of the ground. Successfully to carry out this operation single- 
handed, a knowledge of one’s craft is necessary, as much depends 
upon a correct adjustment of the main and jib sheets, but with a 
little practice you will find it quite easy and, as I have remarked, 
there is no risk of your getting into trouble while attempting 
the manoeuvre. 

The easiest conditions for getting under way are when the 
wind blows against the tide and the vessel is riding to the latter. 
First get the anchor and then set jib and mainsail. Don’t under 
such conditions, set any sail before getting the anchor, for that 
would cause her to drive up past her anchor and you would not 
then be able to break it out. 

To sum up, unless prevented by lack of sea room, or other 
exceptional circumstances the mainsail may be set before getting 
the anchor when the wind is forward of the beam but should 
the wind be on or abaft the beam, the anchor must be broken 
out before making sail. In a very light breeze on the beam, 
however, the mainsail might be set scandalised, if the boom were 

D 


34 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


run right ofL A mainsail is said to be scandalised when the peak 
is lowered and the tack triced up, or in the case of a sail with a 
laced foot, with the peak lowered and the boom topped up. 
A mainsail thus scandalised holds hardly any wind. Although 
these rules apply for the most part to getting under way from an 
anchor, they should also be followed when riding to a mooring. 
Setting the mainsail before getting under way when the wind is 
on or abaft the beam will, of course, not prevent your slipping 
the mooring, but she will drive up over it, and the chain may 
scrape your topside paint. Moreover, the boat will charge about 
all over the place, and she may foul some other craft brought 
up close by. 

Now with regard to anchor stowage. Most small yacht owners 
haul the anchor up to the stemhead and then lift the crown and 
secure it to the rail with a lashing. This, I think, a mistake, as 
the weight of an anchor right on her nose does a small craft no 
good in a seaway, and the jib sheets are also very liable to foul 
either the arm or the stock when the anchor is stowed in such a 
position. A far better plan is to lift the anchor on board and stow 
it on deck near the mast, with the arms lying flat and the shank 
resting on the rail so that half the stock lies up and down the 
fore shroud and the other half over the side. The shank, near 
the crown, should rest in a wooden chock screwed to the deck, 
and the half of the stock that is against the shroud can be made 
fast to the latter with a piece of line. If the stock be lashed 
close to the end, the headsail sheets cannot foul it. In the absence 
of a chock for the shank to rest in, the anchor can be secured 
by means of a lashing round its crown and the foot of the mast. 
If, when lifting the anchor on board, it is passed outside the 
bowsprit shroud, all you will have to do when you bring up is 
to drop it overboard and it will run clear of everything. If the 
method I suggest be adopted, the weight will not penalise the 
vessel in a sea way, and you will soon get so accustomed to the 
anchor’s presence on deck that you will step over it unconsciously. 


CHAPTER V 

SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 

Foe sheer enjoyment I doubt if you will find anything else in 
the world of sport to equal that of steering a yacht to windward 
in a smart breeze. It is not only extremely exhilarating, but also 
calls for considerable skill on the part of the helmsman. Take 
the case of two yachts of similar size and design : the one sailed 
by an expert and the other by a novice. Running and reaching, 
the performance of the two would not differ to any marked extent, 
but when sheets were gathered in for a beat to windward the 
expert would come into his own and drop his opponent every 
board. The skill of a helmsman is therefore judged by his ability 
to get a boat to windward. Some men are born helmsmen, and 
will get far more out of a yacht after a few months’ practice 
than others who have had years of experience. 

Where the novice errs as a rule is in pinning in his sheets 
too taut and starving the boat. He endeavours to lie as close 
to the wind as possible, thinking thereby to get the best out of 
his craft. Now, this is a great mistake, for a yacht will not sail 
to advantage with her boom pinned in almost amidships and 
with her sails constantly lifting. You might as well expect 
Mademoiselle Lenglen to play lawn tennis in a hobble skirt. Yet 
the beginner almost invariably falls into this error. I think he 
is usually led astray by watching other yachts. Noticing that 
they appear to be pointing higher than his own vessel, the novice 
takes a haul on his sheets to make her lie closer to the wind; 
but in all probability he has been misled by an optical illusion. 
It is an extraordinary thing that other vessels, in whose company 
we are beating to windward, almost always seem to be holding 

35 


36 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


a better wind, but in reality they are doing nothing of the sort. 
Anyhow, it is unwise to be influenced by what another vessel 
is doing, for she may not have the same wind that you have. 
There is nothing more unstable than the breezes that blow over 
these islands, and you can never rely upon a boat a hundred 
yards distant holding the same wdnd as your own vessel. I 
remember once, when running down the Crouch with the wind 
right aft, meeting another boat which was running up, and we 
were both carrying spinnakers. We sailed on thus until there 
was no more than fifty yards between us, when we were both 
becalmed. That will give you an idea how fickle the wind may be, 
and although the instance I quote was quite exceptional, you will 
readily understand that it is not by any means extraordinary 
for there to be a variation, of say, a point in the direction of the 
wind a short distance away. 

Although you should not allow the sailing of another boat to 
influence you in the handling of your own, it will pay you to watch 
others in your immediate neighbourhood, as thereby you may 
often secure a useful object lesson. You may see, for instance, 
an old smack, or barge, coming along with her boom well off 
and jib bellying out like a bag, and presently she will overhaul 
you to windward. As she passes, you notice that your boat is 
lying points nearer the wind. This will strike you as rather 
amazing, and you will wonder how she has done it. The explana¬ 
tion is that the other craft is sailing whilst your boat is doing 
little more than drift. By pinning in your sheets you may succeed 
in lying within three points of the wind, but your boat will not 
go where she points. She will simply sag away to leeward, and 
at the same time all the speed will be knocked out of her. 

It is true that some modern racing yachts will stand fairly 
harsh sheeting, and I have seen the Herreshoff-designed 52-footer 
Sonya apparently sailing well to windward with her boom pinned 
down almost amidships, but the ordinary small cruiser will sulk 
unless she be given a reasonable amount of sheet. Even Sonya , 
I am inclined to think, would have proved a good deal more 
successful than she was, had she been given a foot or two of slack 
in her main sheet when beating to windward. 

It is quite impossible to give any standard rule for trimming 


SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 


37 


sheets on a wind, as every boat has her individual likes and 
dislikes in that respect, but it is certain that the old-fashioned 
type of craft, with a straight stem, demands more liberal treat¬ 
ment than a modern boat with all her deadwood cut away. 
But, whatever the type of yacht, it is only by experiment and 
experience that the best trim can be learnt. The novice, however, 
should get into the habit of trimming his jib sheet as slack as 
possible, for it is a lifting sail and the more flow given to it in 
reason, the better it will assist in pulling the vessel through the 
water. Moreover, if the jib be sheeted too flat the back-draught 
will affect the set of the foresail. 

Many yachtsmen steer by the burgee, but I do not think it 
a good guide, as the little flag, so high up, is apt to be deceptive. 
A far better plan, in my opinion, is to steer by the luff of the jib. 
Try to trim your sheets so that the jib will lift just before the 
mainsail, then, by watching the luff of the former, you can tell 
at once when you are sailing too “ near.” As soon as you see 
the merest suggestion of tremor, bear up a trifle until the sail 
is steady again. The burgee will warn you if you sail her too full 
When close hauled the burgee appears to blow out almost fore 
and aft, and should it develop much of an angle you may be sure 
you are too far off the wind. Many helmsmen make a practice 
of sailing by the luff of the mainsail, but I do not think it such 
a good guide as that of the jib, for the back-draught out of 
the foresail often causes the luff of the mainsail to lift a trifle. 
The foresail, by the way, can be sheeted rather more harshly 
than the jib, but the sheet must not be hauled in so taut as to 
cause the luff of the mainsail constantly to lift. 

The wind is seldom, if ever, perfectly uniform in strength and 
direction, being usually punctuated by a series of little squalls 
or harder puffs. In these puffs the yacht can often be sailed a 
little closer. These are the helmsman’s opportunities for snatching 
a few yards to windward and the expert does not fail to take 
advantage of them. Most yachts carry a certain amount of 
weather helm when heeled to a breeze : that is to say, if the tiller 
were not kept a little to weather, the vessel would come up 
head to wind. Now, when you feel these little fresh puffs of wind, 
slightly ease the tiller and allow your boat to eat up to windward 


38 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


a trifle, but keep an eye on tbe luff of your jib to see that she does 
not come up too close. As the puff dies away it will be necessary 
to bear up a little, or you may find your sails lifting. When sailing 
to windward you must watch your vessel as a cat does a mouse, 
and take full advantage of every little squall that comes along. 
In course of time your touch on the tiller will become so sensitive 
that you will hardly have to watch your sails at all, for you will 
know almost by intuition when she is doing her best. Such skill 
however, is not likely to be attained until you have been sailing 
for some years. The conditions which the beginner usually finds 
most difficult are when the wind is very light and the water lumpy. 
The weatherhelm the average yacht carries under such conditions 
is very slight, and the novice is apt to miss the strain on the 
tiller. He is consequently inclined to give her too much helm 
and get her broad off the wind. 

In no way is the superiority of the modern type of yacht over 
the old more marked than in her handiness. When put about, 
she flies round on her heel, and one has to be exceedingly “nippy” 
in getting the headsail sheets belayed before she is away on the 
new board. How different is it with the old type of craft, with 
her deep fore-foot and long keel. She wants a lot of room in which 
to go about, and a lot of time in which to do it. Sometimes, in 
a heavy sea, she even declines to go about at all. Like a fractious 
steeplechaser, she wants a lot of watching and coaxing or she will 
“ refuse.” If you own a craft of that type you must take special 
precautions when staying her. Before going about, ramp her 
along for a few moments to get a full head of speed and look out 
for a “ smooth ” before putting down the helm. If you have 
ever stood on a pier and watched the waves, I dare say you have 
noticed that every now and then there will be one or two extra 
big ones, which are followed by comparatively smooth water for 
a few moments. Well, that is the “ smooth ” that you should 
wait for, before putting down the helm. Put over the tiller slowly 
and not too far at first, or you will take the way off the boat. 
Let fly the jib sheet as she comes head to wind, but do not release 
the sheet as long as the sail is drawing, for it is helping her through 
the water. The aim should be to sail the boat round, for if you 
ose way on her she will miss stays for a certainty. When she 


SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 


39 


is head to wind, give her a little more helm and stand by the 
jib sheet. There is a moment when a vessel is in stays when the 
jib sheet can be hauled in and belayed with one hand, and that 
is when the sail has just blown clear of the forestay. Should this 
opportunity not be taken you will find it hard work to sheet the 
jib, if it is of any size. The foresail, you will notice, has been left 
to windward to assist the boat in paying off on her new tack. 
As soon as the mainsail and jib are full, let draw the foresail and 
right the helm. It will assist an unhandy boat in stays if the 
mainsheet be hauled in as the helm is put down, but the boom 
should be eased again as soon as she begins to fill on the new 
tack. 

In heavy weather the yacht should be sailed with slacker 
sheets, and rather fuller than is usual in a moderate breeze 
and smooth water. The great thing is to keep her moving, for 
in a rough sea she will not handle reliably unless a good head of 
speed be maintained. You will no doubt get plenty of spray 
over the boat, but never mind that: salt water hurts no one, 
and is invigorating rather than otherwise. Above all, don’t be 
alarmed if water invades the lee decks for that is what they are 
there for. But if the vessel be hove down until the water threatens 
to mount the well coamings she should be eased by luffing. Don’t, 
however, luff so much as to lose way. The pressure can be relieved 
by luffing just sufficiently to spill a portion of the wind out of the 
mainsail; that is to say, until the luff of the sail is lifting whilst 
the after part still draws. By careful handling it should be possible 
to nurse her through an ordinary squall in this manner, but if 
it is one of long duration it will be desirable to reef. I propose 
to deal with the subject of reefing in a later chapter. 

If you are beating to windward in an unhandy vessel in rough 
water, it is possible that she may miss stays when going about 
and get “ in irons.” A vessel is said to be in irons when she lies 
head to wind and will not fill on either tack, having lost all way. 
Should this happen, and you have plenty of sea room, under 
your lee, haul your headsails aback, ease the mainsheet a little 
and reverse your helm for stern way. By these means you will 
soon get her going again. Then ramp her along for a bit and try 
again to stay her. 


40 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Should, however, she miss stays when beating up a river, and 
there is shoal water close under your lee, do not make a second 
attempt to put her about, for she may miss stays again. Should 
that happen you would probably not have room to retrieve the 
situation and you might be hard and fast ashore ere you could 
do anything. If she should miss stays under the conditions 
I mention, wear her at once and set about it in no half-hearted 
fashion. To perform this manoeuvre, the helm must be put up 
and the mainsheet paid out freely, the runner being let go to allow 
the boom to run off. When the yacht is right before the wind, 
haul in the mainsheet as rapidly as you can in readiness for the 
gybe, whilst a hand stands by the runners. As the boom comes 
over, which it will do with considerable force, the runner which 
was previously slacked off must be set up, whilst the other is 
let go. After the mainsail has gybed, ease over the headsails 
and trim the mainsheet as she comes on the wind again. The 
reader may not at this stage understand the references to gybing, 
but I deal more fully with that matter in the next chapter. 


CHAPTER VI 


SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 
(continued) 

When running before the wind the boom should be off as far as 
it will go, just short of touching the shroud. The lee runner 
must, of course, be slackened right away to allow of the boom 
being squared off. The headsail sheets are belayed quite slack, 
although when the wind is right aft the foresail and jib are of 
little service, being blanketed by the mainsail. The weather 
runner, which is the chief support of the mast on this point of 
sailing, must be set up taut, as also must the weather preventer 
backstay, should the yacht carry them. So long as the wind is 
dead aft, or coming over the weather quarter, steering will present 
no difficulties, as all you will have to do is to keep the vessel 
steady on her course. Should the wind draw round on to the lee 
quarter, however, you must be very careful, as an unpremeditated 
gybe might spell disaster. 

Gybing a yacht is the reverse of staying her. In tacking, 
the vessel is luffed until the wind is brought on to the opposite 
bow, but when gybing she turns stern on to the wind which is 
brought on to the opposite quarter. In the latter operation the 
mainsail swings across the deck, covering in its journey almost 
a half circle. If there is much weight in the wind, the boom comes 
over with terrific force. Unless carefully carried out, the opera¬ 
tion of gybing is extremely dangerous, and can easily result in 
the boom being broken or the boat even dismasted. As soon 
as your craft begins to get by the lee, or in other words, when 
the wind begins to blow on the same side as that on which she 
is carrying her mainsail, it will be prudent for you to gybe her. 

To minimise the risk of damage you must proceed with the 

41 


42 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


greatest care. First gather in the mainsheet until the boom is 
nearly amidships, at the same time luffing to prevent a premature 
gybe. When the boom has been hauled aboard the runner 
which has hitherto been the lee one must be set up and the other 
slacked right away. Preventer backstays, if any, must be similarly 
treated. The other runner must now be slacked right off, so as 
not to impede the travel of the boom when it comes over. Don’t 
forget to do this, or the boom may strike the taut runner, an 
incident that may lead to one or the other being carried away. 
Now we are ready for the gybe. Put up the helm gently, and, as 
the boom begins to come over, snatch a turn of the main sheet 
round a cleat or bollard, or otherwise you may not be able to hold 
it. As the boom flies over, the yacht will show a tendency to 
broach to, and she must therefore be met with the helm. As soon 
as the mainsail has been gybed, ease out the mainsheet and pass 
the headsails over. Take care that no one’s head is in the way 
when the boom gybes over, as a blow from the spar might cause 
serious injury. And don’t forget what I have just told you about 
taking a turn with the mainsheet round a cleat in the act of 
gybing. To emphasize the importance of this I will tell you a 
little story. 

Years ago a yachting friend of mine was sailing single-handed 
a seven-ton cutter down Channel. She was of the old plank-on- 
edge type, with a very large mainsail. Having to gybe in a vicious 
squall, my friend omitted to take a turn with the mainsheet 
which ran through his hands so fast that they were badly skinned. 
Being unable to touch a rope after the accident, he had no alterna¬ 
tive but to hoist a signal of distress, with the result that he had 
to pay a considerable sum by way of salvage to the smacksmen 
who came to his assistance. Moreover, he was unable to use his 
hands for many weeks after the episode. 

Just one more warning. Keep clear of the coils of the main- 
sheet as the boom comes over. A story is told of a hand of a 
first class racing cutter being cut in halves by getting entangled 
in the mainsheet during a gybe. That is probably an exaggeration, 
but all the same the mainsheet of even a small cruising craft could 
give you a pretty nasty nip. Do you remember what Robert 
Louis Stevenson has to say on the subject in “ The Ebb Tide ” ? 


SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 43 

It is Captain Davis who remarks, addressing the unspeakable 
Huish :— 

“ Where would you have been if that boom had swung out 
“ and you bundled in the slack ? No, sir, we’ll have no more of 
“ you at the mainsheet. Seaport towns are full of mainsheetmen ; 
“ they hop upon one leg, my son, what’s left of them, and the 
“ rest are dead.” 

Although I have laid some stress on the dangers of gybing, 
I do not want to make you nervous about it. Provided that 
reasonable care be taken a gybe is not attended by any undue 
risk, and after you have carried out the operation a few times 
you will not think anything of it. The thing to avoid is the 
possibility of an unpremediateted gybe all-standing and for¬ 
tunately one usually has a certain amount of warning. There is 
a moment just before a yacht gybes when she suddenly loses her 
weatherhelm and the tiller lies lifeless in your grasp. If the helm 
be then quickly put down, the impending gybe may be averted. 
All the same, you should never allow your vessel to get so much 
by the lee as to make an accidental gybe possible. As soon as 
you feel the wind drawing round on to the same side as that on 
which she is carrying her boom, gybe her at once. You will not 
only be taking a seamanlike precaution but actually doing the 
best for your boat, as there is a certain loss of speed when sailing 
by the lee. 

The casual helmsman is apt to say to himself, when the wind 
begins to come over the lee quarter, “ I shall not bother about 
gybing yet, as she can’t gybe herself until the wind is nearly 
on the beam.” There he is quite wrong. In the first place, the 
boom is never at right angles to the keel, for the after-shroud 
prevents its being run off so far. Then there is the possibility 
of the boom being swung aft a little if the sea be rough. The 
motion of a lively yacht in a heavy sea is quite sufficient to swing 
the boom several feet aft, and so you will see that it is quite 
possible for her to gybe herself long before the wind is on the 
beam. This fact is so well known and appreciated that it is 
customary in small vessels, when making an ocean passage, to 
guy the boom forward when running in order to check this ten¬ 
dency of the spar to come aft. 


44 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Gybing in heavy weather, of course, calls for extra care, as the 
slightest mistake may bring disaster in its train. For this reason 
it is often more prudent to bring the yacht on the wind and stay 
her, bearing away again when she is on the other tack. When a 
race is sailed in bad weather it is by no means uncommon for the 
officer of the day to instruct the helmsman to stay round a mark 
instead of gybing. Of course there are occasions when one has 
no choice in the matter. For instance, there may not be room 
to stay, in which case there is no alternative but to gybe and 
chance it. Even so, it is possible to minimise the risk by reducing 
sail before gybing. If the mainsail has a loose foot, the tack 
can be triced right up to the throat with the tack tricing line, 
which is a rope secured to the tack cringle ot the sail and led up 
through a small block on the gaff just under the jaws. Before 
tricing up the tack, the tack-purchase must be cast off. Should 
the mainsail have a laced foot, as many have nowadays, it will 
not be possible to trice up the tack. The alternative is to lower 
the peak, but unless the yacht is sailing under a press of sail, 
which it is absolutely necessary to reduce before gybing, such a 
course is not altogether desirable. When the peak is lowered 
the gybe becomes a double one. First the boom comes over and 
then the gaff, and as the latter is more or less free, it flies farther 
forward than it does in a normal gybe. There is thus some risk 
of damaging either the gaff itself or the crosstree. If a gybe has 
to be negotiated with the peak lowered, the mainsheet should be 
pinned in amidships as the boom comes over, and kept there 
until the gaff has gybed. Then the sail can be slacked out 
gradually. Rather than gybe with the peak lowered, some yachts¬ 
men prefer to lower the throat. If this is done, however, great 
difficulty may be experienced subsequently in re-setting the main¬ 
sail, as in most yachts the peak has to be lowered ere the throat 
can be hoisted into its proper position. The peak, on the other 
hand, can always be set again without trouble. 

A sail in common use in yachts when running is the spinnaker. 
It derives its name from the old racing cutter Sphinx, which was 
the first racing craft to adopt it in the ’sixties of the last century. 
This yacht was commonly called “ Spinx ” by the yacht hands 
of that time, and when they saw this new sail, which had no name, 


SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 


45 


they first christened it a spinxer,” which soon got corrupted 

into “ spinker,” and finally it became known as a “ spinnaker.” 

It is a large triangular sail made of light duck, the head being 

hoisted to the masthead by means of the spinnaker halyard 

and the tack secured to the end of a light boom, of which the 

other end is attached to the foot of the mast with a goose-neck. 

The sheet—a single part—is belayed near the foot of the mast. 

By means of the spinnaker the sail area, when before the wind, 

is enormously increased, and it pulls the vessel through the water 

in fine style. 

%/ 

When the spinnaker is set in yachts of considerable size, the 
spinnaker boom is first lowered over the side by means of its 
topping lift, the end being secured in position by fore and aft 
guys. The tack is hauled out to the end of the boom with a line 
kept permanently rove through a sheave in the end of the spar. 
At the same time the head is hoisted with the halyard. The 
sheet is secured before hoisting, for otherwise it might blow adrift. 
When the yacht is gybed, the spinnaker has, of course, to be 
set the other side. This means that the sail must first be 
taken in and the setting process repeated. As the two parts of 
the halyard lead one on either side of the masthead stay and fore¬ 
stay, the head of the sail has to be hoisted on the other part of 
the halyard when it is set again. In the old-fashioned plank-on- 
edge yachts, which carried a very large sail area, the end of the 
spinnaker boom, when topped up, extended above the forestay. 
It was then the custom to unship the spinnaker boom from the 
mast and lower the heel down the forehatch, so that the upper 
end could be passed under the forestay. 

In small cruising yachts the spinnaker is much more easily 
handled, as the boom is comparatively short. As a rule it is fitted 
with jaws in lieu of a gooseneck, and a fore guy is seldom used. 
When shifting a spinnaker of this type, the boom is allowed 
to go forward, and then unshipped from the mast. It is then run 
aft along the deck, until it can be pushed out the other side of 
the forestay. Whilst this is being done the head of the sail is 
lowered and secured to the other part of the halyard. With a 
smart crew the spinnaker can be shifted over in a few seconds. 
Even in first class cutters the operation does not take so long 


46 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


as one might think. I once timed the crew of White Heather II 
as they shifted the spinnaker in the course of a match on the 
Lower Thames, and the whole operation was completed in rather 
less than forty seconds. When handling the spinnaker of a small 
yacht, care must be taken to keep the end of the spar out of the 
water, for should it be allowed to dip into the sea by mishandling, 
the spar will be broken off short against the shrouds like a carrot. 

When running in a fresh breeze, the spinnaker often shows a 
tendency to sky, particularly when the boom is not fitted with a 
fore guy. It is the custom when this happens for one or more 
of the crew to sit on the boom to keep it down. I will tell you of a 
tip which I discovered many years ago, and have adopted ever 
since with complete success. Instead of leading the spinnaker 
guy right aft to the counter, as is usually done, lead it through 
a bull’s-eye attached to the runner-plate. Owing to the compara¬ 
tively sharp angle at which the guy is thus led, it is impossible 
for the boom to sky to any great extent. 

If you want to get the best out of your craft when running, 
the position of the crew is of some importance. The old-fashioned 
straight-stemmed yachts used to bury their heads when running 
hard under a press of sail, and it was the custom to bring all the 
crew aft on to the counter to correct, as far as possible, this 
tendency to bore. You will still sometimes see the same practice 
followed in modern craft with overhanging pram bows. This is 
quite wrong, as yachts of that type are more apt to cock their 
noses out when running then to bury them. To put the weight 
of the crew aft in such a vessel not only shortens her waterline 
but also makes her quarters drag, a state of affairs that can hardly 
fail fco check her way. If your boat has a flaring overhanging bow, 
therefore, keep your hands amidships, or thereabouts, and you 
will then get the full benefit of her sailing length. It was found 
that the disposition of the crew in this manner made a consider¬ 
able difference to the speed down wind of the American Cup 
challenger, Shamrock III. 

Reaching is undoubtedly the fastest point of sailing of a fore- 
and-aft rigged vessel, as under such conditions she gets the full 
benefit of her sail area and makes practically no leeway. It calls 
for very little skill on the part of the helmsman, as he merely 


SEAMANSHIP UNDER WAY 


47 


has to keep the yacht straight on her course without yawing 
about. The correct trim of the sheets is easily ascertained, as 
the sails can be slacked out until they begin to lift, and then 
hauled in a foot or two until nicely full. When on a reach the 
yacht will feel the benefit of a balloon foresail, provided there 
is not too much w T ind. This sail is made of light material similar 
to that of the spinnaker, and it is set in lieu of the usual working 
foresail, but is not as a rule hanked to the forestay. The foot 
extends right past the mast, almost to the runner, and it is a 
rare pulling sail on a reach. The balloon foresail has a single-part 
sheet, and should the yacht have to go about, the sheet has to 
be passed round the mast before it can be belayed the other side. 
In light airs, just abaft the beam, it is the custom to set the 
spinnaker on the bowsprit-end, for being made of very light 
material it will keep full and pull the yacht along when the 
heavier working head-sails would be useless. 


CHAPTER VII 

HEAVY WEATHER 

Anyone with a natural aptitude for sailing can soon learn to 
handle a small yacht decently when the meteorological conditions 
are fair, but the real test of seamanship is heavy weather. Until 
he has been through the mill, the ideas of the novice are for the 
most part based upon theory, and he is apt to talk glibly of gales 
of wind as if there were nothing in the world more desirable. 
Wonderful stories are sometimes told in the club room—usually 
late in the evening—but these yarns should not be taken too 
literally. A yacht often attains extraordinary speed when she 
is lying at her moorings and the owner seated in an armchair 
ashore. And the armchair yachtsman does not, in the glorification 
of his little craft, stop short at mere speed. He will also claim 
for her the most wonderful weatherliness ever heard of. He will 
tell you how his five-tonner was trapped on a lee shore and clawed 
off to safety in the teeth of a wild gale. He may, on occasion, 
even tell you the story of that passage he made in such terrific 
weather that old fishermen besought him with tears in their eyes 
not to venture out of port. 

I would not for a moment suggest that all yachtsmen are 
liars, but it is, I am afraid, a fact that a few permit their tongues 
to run away with them at times. In many cases it is merely 
that they lack a sense of proportion and think they have been 
at sea in a gale when it was merely a fresh breeze. It is by no 
means difficult for the inexperienced yachtsman to fall into this 
error, for he draws his conclusions as to the severity of the weather 
from the amount of difficulty and discomfort with which he has 

V 


48 


HEAVY WEATHER 


49 


to contend. I remember an occasion, many years ago, when I 
got caught out in some dirty weather whilst making a single- 
handed passage in a seven-tonner by night. I was bound from 
Harwich to Lowestoft and had a rare dusting whilst beating 
round Orford Ness, the heavy weather lasting until I reached 
my destination. I had a pair of reefs in the mainsail, a reefed 
foresail and storm jib, and yet, even under this reduced canvas, 
the yacht had her lee rail awash. I could hear the water swishing 
about over the cabin floor, and one way and another I was 
feeling pretty sorry for myself. I felt convinced that I was out 
in a gale of wind, for it was quite the worst weather I had ever 
experienced in those early days. Well, as I approached Lowestoft, 
I met a string of North Sea drifters putting to sea, and was amazed 
to see them storming along under whole mainsails and topsails. 
Here was food for thought. If I was having such a rotten time 
whilst they could carry topsails in comfort, what would happen 
to my little boat in weather that compelled a Lowestoft smack 
to lie to under a reefed mizzen and storm jib ? I have never 
forgotten that incident, which opened my eyes to what a real 
gale in winter must be like. It is the consideration of such a 
problem that brings home to one what nonsense these club-house 
yarns are. 

The little yacht of four or five tons that would claw off a lee 
shore in a real gale has not yet been built. The amount of canvas 
that she could carry would be insufficient to counteract the wind¬ 
age of the heavily-listed hull, and each sea would hurl her 
further to leeward. And as there would be every chance of her 
missing stays, a small yacht thus trapped would in all probability 
go ashore and break up. Don’t therefore be led into attempting 
the impossible by the fairy tales you hear in clubs and other 
places where yachtsmen “ talk boats.’’ 

One sometimes hears an inexperienced amateur say that if 
caught out in a gale of wind in a small boat he would beach her. 
I venture to think he would do nothing of the sort. I believe 
it is the accepted theory that, under ordinary conditions, a wave 
breaks when the height from the hollow to the crest is the same 
as the depth of water in the trough. Now, successfully to beach 
a boat, the shore must be a gradually shelving one ; for, if steep-to 

B 


50 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


or rocky, the craft would in all probability be dashed to pieces. 
In a gale of wind there would naturally be a high sea running, 
and in such shoal water the waves would commence to break 
far out to sea. Consequently I think the chance of a small boat 
being successfully beached would be very small in such circum¬ 
stances. Anyhow, I should be very sorry to try it myself. 

I take it that it is your intention to sail for pleasure and not 
with the idea of posing as a hero before your friends. It is foolish, 
therefore, to court bad weather—you will get all you want, and 
more, in the ordinary course of events. Keep an aneroid on 
board and study it. I don’t say that it will enable you always 
to forecast the weather with accuracy, but you will know, in the 
event of any rapid or decided change in the reading, that it is 
not prudent to put to sea. It may occasionally keep you in port 
without any real necessity, but, on the other hand, it will save 
you from many a “ dusting.” 

The strength of the wind is not the yachtsman’s only enemy 
in heavy weather, for the sea may be even more trying. It is 
quite possible for a summer breeze to knock up a sea in shoal 
water which would be really dangerous to a five-tonner. If that 
be so, it might be argued, how is it that small boats of only 
15ft. or 16ft. in length have managed to cross the Atlantic in 
safety ? That is another matter, for when far from the land 
the seas are of quite a different character. In the open ocean 
the seas attain great size in heavy weather, and a small craft 
is able to lie comfortably on the side of these huge waves. Conse¬ 
quently, seas which might be a source of danger to big ships are 
comparatively harmless to a small vessel riding to a sea-anchor. 
Ocean waves of 36ft. in height w T ere recorded by Sir James C. 
Ross ; whilst Sir George Grey, in the course of a voyage from 
Australia, ascertained, by paying out a line astern, that their 
length was sometimes as great as 338 ft., with a velocity of 
28 miles per hour. Seas of this nature are not nearly so dangerous 
to small craft as some encountered nearer the land, for the latter 
are short and hollow, and not infrequently break. 

Should you find yourself far from a port on the approach of 
bad weather, my advice is to get away from the land as fast 
as you can. It will require some pluck and determination to do 


HEAVY WEATHER 


51 


so, but I am confident it is the safest course to follow. It is, more¬ 
over, the policy advocated by famous cruising men such as the 
late Mr. R. T. McMullen, Mr. Claud Worth, and others. 

In a previous chapter I told you how to reef the mainsail 
whilst lying at your moorings, head to wind, but you will often 
have to do it when under way, sometimes under trying conditions. 
This is a case where it is advisable to take time by the forelock. 
Don’t hang on to your whole mainsail until reefing it becomes a 
matter of absolute necessity, but shorten sail on the first indication 
of the approach of bad weather. Occasionally when cruising 
you will see an inky black cloud banking up on the horizon, and 
apparently travelling against the wind. This is a sure precursor 
of a thunderstorm, and if you are wise you will proceed at once 
to pull down a pair of reefs. It is quite possible that you may 
get next to no wind out of the cloud, and you will have had 
your labour for nothing. But, on the other hand, you may get 
a regular shrieking squall which will try your craft to the utmost, 
even under her reefed mainsail. You cannot afford to take chances 
in a little craft, and “ safety first ” should always be your motto. 

When reefing under way, the yacht must first be hove to. This 
is effected by hauling one of the headsails to windward, usually 
the foresail, and the yacht will then lie quite steady without 
attention and nearly head to wind. Heaving to in a vessel is 
the equivalent to marking time when marching. The wind in 
the mainsail endeavours to drive the boat up into the wind, but 
the foresail being aback stops her. By trimming the sheets she 
can be made to lie practically motionless—that at least is the 
theory, but in practice most yachts forge slowly ahead when 
hove to, particularly when one is reefing, as the boom has to be 
sheeted home. 

Having hove to your boat, the topping lift should be set up 
and the main sheet pinned in to keep the boom as steady as 
possible, Then slack up the main and peak halyards sufficiently 
to allow the reef to be pulled down. Now proceed to reef the 
mainsail in the manner I described in chapter III. Should your 
sea-room be restricted, as, for instance, when beating up a 
comparatively narrow river, you must waste no time in getting 
your reef down, for, as I have remarked, most boats forge ahead 


52 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


when hove to. The main thing is to get the leach cringle boused 
down and the earing secured, for when that is accomplished the 
peak can be hoisted and the yacht got under control. The points 
can be tied at your leisure. If, when you have got the reef earing 
secured, you find that you are getting uncomfortably close to 
shoal water, hoist the peak and let draw your headsails. When 
you have sufficient way on, go about and leave the foresail 
aback on the new tack whilst you finish reefing. If you have 
any doubt about her staying under such conditions, put up your 
helm and wear her. 

Should the yacht be reaching when a reef becomes necessary, 
it can sometimes be taken down without heaving to, as by slightly 
backing the headsails and with a little helm she can be made 
to sail herself on her course. 

Getting down the leach earing in a lively boat is not by any 
means an easy matter, as when hauling on the reef tackle it is 
difficult to keep one’s feet, particularly when the deck or well 
floor is wet. You should therefore watch your opportunities. 
When hove to, the mainsail will sometimes flap as the vessel 
comes nearly head to wind, and when that happens the earing 
can be hauled down with comparative ease. Those are the 
moments to watch for and take advantage of, as it is uncommonly 
hard work to pull down a sail that is full of wind. If the bee blocks 
on the boom are fitted with sheaves, see the latter run freelv 
and are not blind, and if they are not thus fitted, keep your reef 
earings well soaped. A little attention of that nature occasionally 
will save you a lot of hard work. It is when reefing that one 
appreciates the advantages of a loose-footed mainsail, for, in 
tying the points, one merely has to roll the foot of the sail up to 
them. When the mainsail is laced to the boom, one has to pull 
the sail, full of wind, down to the boom, which adds to the 
difficulty and often militates against a neat job. In many racing 
yachts and some cruising craft a lacing is used in lieu of reef 
points, and although it may be possible by such means to take 
down a neater reef, it requires two men to make a good job of it. 
On the whole I think the old-fashioned points preferable for 
cruising purposes. 

Several patent reefing gears have been introduced of late years. 


HEAVY WEATHER 


53 


but it is open to question if they are worth their expense. They 
mostly work on the same principle but differ in detail. The 
Turner rolling reefing gear is perhaps the best known. It takes 
the form of a small ratchet winch fitted between the boom-end 
and the gooseneck, by means of which the boom is revolved 
and the sail rolled up round it like a blind. The Woodnutt 
method is very similar, but the boom is revolved by a worm gear. 
To enable the boom to revolve, the topping lift and standing 
part of the mainsheet are secured to a spindle attached to the 
boom-end in such a manner that the spar is free to revolve. The 
upper mainsheet block is attached to a claw-ring that fits loosely 
round the boom, the sail lying between the claws which are fitted 
with lignum vitae rollers to prevent the sail being chafed. To 
eliminate the possibility of the claw-ring being rolled up with the 
sail when the boom is revolved, it is customary to fit a metal 
rod between the topping lift spindle and the claw-ring. Having 
had a good deal of experience of these patent reefing gears, I find 
that this unsightly rod can be dispensed with, as a line serves 
the purpose just as well, if not better. The line should be attached 
to the topping lift spindle and the claw-ring, when the correct 
position of the latter has been ascertained by experiment, and 
finally secured to the foot of the mast. This line, if kept reason¬ 
ably taut, will not only prevent the claw-ring from being wrapped 
up with the mainsail when reefing, but also keep it in its proper 
position on the boom when the latter is squared off for running. 
For these roller booms to work efficiently the boom should be of 
the same diameter throughout its length, or the sail will not roll 
up evenly, and to prevent the luff coming away from, the mast 
when the sail is reefed the boom must be at a right angle to it. 
This latter feature is apt to bring the boom unpleasantly close to 
one’s head, to say nothing of giving the mainsail an unsightly 
appearance. Theoretically it is possible to reef with a roller boom 
when running before the wind, but in practice it will usually be 
found that the boom is slightly buckled and will not revolve. 

By the way, when shaking out a reef, the points should be 
untied before slacking up the reef pendant, or otherwise the sail 
may be torn. The topping lift should also be set up before easing 
the reef earing to prevent the boom dropping on to your head. 


54 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


When I told you just now how to heave to, it was for the special 
purpose of reefing, but there are many other occasions when one 
wants to lie to. Possibly you may want to have a meal in comfort, 
or, if single-handed, it may be necessary for you to sleep. When 
hove to, the vessel can be left to her own devices almost indefi¬ 
nitely provided that she has plenty of sea-room. As I explained, 
it is generally necessary to pin in the boom when heaving to for 
reefing purposes, first to keep the boom steady and secondly to 
enable you to tie the last few points. But when heaving to for 
any other reason, it is better to give the mainsail a fair amount 
of sheet. As regards the headsails, the manner in which you trim 
them must depend a good deal on the type of boat. The old- 
fashioned craft, with straight stem and deep forefoot, will, as a 
rule, lie to comfortably with only her foresail aweather, but most 
modern yachts are beasts to heave to. With all the deadwood 
forward cut away they have very little grip on the water, and they 
often sheer about in the most abominable manner. The wind 
catching the headsails aback will drive a yacht of that type 
broad ofi the wind and then, the mainsail filling, she comes to 
again with a rush. It is often necessary in modern boats to back 
both headsails when heaving to, and even then it is desirable 
to keep a hand at the tiller to humour them. This is one of the 
points in which the modern craft is inferior to the old type, for 
the latter can as a rule be left to her own devices when hove to 
until the cows come home, as the saying goes. 

When the mainsail is reefed it is usually necessary to shift 
jibs in order to restore the balance. A cutter should carry three 
working jibs. Number one will be a large sail, the clew overlapping 
the forestay when the sail is sheeted home on a wfind. Number 
tv r o is of medium size ; and number three, known as the storm 
jib or “ spit fire,” is a tiny sail made of extra stout canvas. In 
most small yachts carrying normal weather helm, the balance 
of sail for varying strengths of wund should be as follovrs 

Whole mainsail and topsail - - Whole foresail, No. 1 Jib. 

Whole mainsail and no topsail - Do. do. 

Single-reefed mainsail - - - Whole foresail, No. 2 jib. 

Double-reefed mainsail - - - Reefed foresail, No. 2 jib. 

Close-reefed mainsail - - - Reefed foresail, No. 3 jib. 


HEAVY WEATHER 


55 


The old-fashioned straight-stemmed craft, however, with her 
deep forefoot, is apt to develop more weather helm when heeled 
to a considerable angle, and it is often necessary to carry a larger 
area of headsail to counteract it, otherwise she may gripe badly. 
A knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of your boat is the only real 
guide to the best arrangement of her sail area under various con¬ 
ditions, but I would point out that a big jib slatting violently 
in the wind when going about is liable to make her miss stays. 

Canvas can be reduced for a passing squall by stowing a head- 
sail, but if this course be followed the headsail taken in should 
be the foresail. The foresail is a particularly pressing sail, and 
stowing it will relieve the boat almost as much as taking down a 
reef in the mainsail. It is a great temptation when sailing single- 
handed in a strong wind to use only a single headsail to save the 
trouble of handling two pairs of sheets ; or, should the foresheet 
travel on a horse, to use that sail so that no headsail sheets at 
all have to be tended. If, however, only one headsail is used, 
it should be the jib, as your boat will do much better with it 
than with the foresail. 

A storm jib should never be set direct on to a manila halyard 
as, owing to its small hoist, there would be a considerable length 
of the halyard in use which would stretch badly. No boat can be 
expected to sail decently to windward when the luff of her jib 
is like a bow. A span of wire-rope of suitable length should be 
placed between the head of the jib and the halyard. You will 
then have only a foot or two of manila in play, and the halyard 
will not stretch to any appreciable extent. Sometimes it is desir¬ 
able to let your traveller run in half way along the bowsprit 
when setting the storm jib, but of this you can only judge by 
experiment. 

To shift jibs the method of procedure is as follows :—Ease up 
the outhaul, at the same time hauling on the weather sheet. 
The sail will then run inboard to windward of the foresail. Then 
muzzle the sail by gathering it in your arms, let go the jib purchase 
and then lower away on the halyard. Now, unhook the tack 
from the traveller and the sheets from the clew. Having unhooked 
the halyard, secure it so that it cannot blow adrift, and stow 
the jib away in the well or cabin, for, if left lying about on deck, 


56 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


you may lose it overboard. Then get the jib it is proposed to 
set from the sail locker and bend on traveller, sheets and halyard, 
care being taken to mouse the sister hooks of the halyard and 
the pin of the sheet shackle. Now partly hoist the sail with the 
halyard whilst the tack is being hauled out to the bowsprit-end. 
Having set the sail with the halyard and coiled down, take a 
pull on the jib purchase and the job is completed. Should you 
be single-handed the yacht must of course be hove to whilst the 
jibs are being changed. Did you notice that when telling you 
how to take in your big jib I mentioned that the purchase should 
be let go before the halyard ? You should always make a practice 
of doing that when taking in any sail of which the halyard is 
fitted with a purchase, for the latter will then never require 
overhauling. If you were to omit this two or three times you 
would find the blocks of the purchase so close together as to 
render it inoperative until it had been overhauled. 


CHAPTER VIII 


HEAVY WEATHER 
(continued) 

When sailing a small yacht in a heavy sea the waves must be 
carefully watched as, should they threaten danger, the boat must 
be assisted with the helm. Fortunately the seas usually run in 
the same direction as the wind, which is a great help. If you 
have the wind forward of the beam the vessel should be luffed 
to meet a threatening sea, so that it is taken almost end on, 
but you should fill on her again as soon as the wave is well beneath 
her. Don’t starve your craft when sailing in a strong wind and 
rough sea, for it is essential that you carry plenty of way to permit 
of luffing to meet dangerous waves. You must remember that 
your object in luffing is not to relieve wind pressure but to help 
the boat over a nasty sea, and she should be so snugged down 
that you can ramp her along without feeling nervous about the 
security of your gear. 

Should the wind be abaft the beam, the helm should be put 
up for a dangerous sea, so that it is taken end-on. When sailing 
with a beam wind it is immaterial whether you luff or bear up 
for threatening seas, and you must be guided by the course you 
are steering. I would point out, however, that if you keep on 
bearing up for bad seas you will in course of time get far to 
leeward of vour course, and for that reason it is better to luff on 
some occasions and bear up on others. By so doing you will 
probably keep fairly well on your course. With a beam sea you 
will not, of course, be able to luff, or bear up, sufficiently to take 
a dangerous wave end-on, but you will meet it at an angle that 
is less trying to the boat than if she took the sea on her beam. 

57 


58 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Sometimes, after a recent change in the direction of the wind, 
a sort of double sea is encountered which is very trying. There is 
the long regular heave travelling in the direction of the old wind, 
and, in addition, a short cross sea coming from the same quarter 
as the wind blowing at the time. These cross seas want careful 
watching and steering for, or they may come aboard. 

It is a popular delusion that when running before a high sea 
it is necessary to crowd on sail in order to outrun the waves, and 
one sometimes hears a yachtsman say that he had to shake out 
a reef to keep ahead of the sea. Never was there a greater fallacy, 
for a vessel that is unduly pressed runs a grave risk of being 
pooped by a following sea. 

If you are compelled to run dead before a threatening sea 
you should reduce canvas, even to the extent of stowing the 
mainsail altogether, if it is too much for her close-reefed. In open 
water, far from the land, seas seldom if ever break unless there is 
some special cause, such as a sudden change in the depth or an 
abnormal tidal current. It is not the size of a wave so much as 
its character that makes it dangerous. Your little craft will ride 
over a great Atlantic roller in comparative comfort, and yet 
she might have a devil of a time in the Swin, at the mouth of the 
Thames, when the ebb was meeting a strong North-easterly 
breeze. Should the big wave break, however, it would poop the 
yacht,and might overwhelm her. By crowding on sail you would 
be doing your best to make the sea break. Every vessel has a 
maximum speed, and if you attempt to force her beyond that 
maximum she starts “ wave making ” on her own account. If 
she be driven hard enough, these artificial waves will mount up 
higher than her counter and may even curl over and come aboard. 
Now, I think a possible explanation of why an over-canvassed 
yacht is sometimes pooped by a following sea is that she starts 
wave-making, and these artificial waves upset the rhythm of the 
natural sea and cause it to break. That, however, is only my 
own theory, and, as I am not by any means o^ a scientific turn 
of mind, it is possibly incorrect. Anyhow, I feel sure that it is 
not mere chance that makes a wave poop a vessel, which must 
in some way be responsible. I have often noticed what a difference 
stowing the mainsail makes to a boat’s behaviour when pursued 


HEAVY WEATHER 


59 


by a heavy sea. Whilst she is running hard it is most difficult 
to keep her dead before the seas. Every wave, as it flings up her 
stern, necessitates a heavy pull on the tiller to prevent her 
broaching to. Stow the mainsail and she will run quite comfort¬ 
ably under her headsails, rising easily to the seas which seem 
to melt away as they reach her. 

When running in bad weather the headsails should be sheeted 
well home, for one never knows when it may be necessary to bring 
the vessel to the wind. The greatest risk one incurs, hcwever, 
in such circumstances, is from an accidental gybe, a contingency 
that even the best helmsman cannot altogether ignore wffien 
pursued by a wild sea. Sailing under conditions such as we are 
now T considering, a trysail is a far better sail to use than the 
ordinary mainsail, for having no boom, the risk of damage from 
an unpremeditated gybe is much reduced. 

There are two forms of trysail used in small yachts. One is 
a thimble-headed sail and the other is set on a short gaff. Of 
these the latter is in mv opinion the more efficient. The trysail 
gaff is usually about half the length of the main gaff and fitted 
with jaws. The sail, having no boom, has double sheets leading 
to either side of the counter, whilst the luff is secured to the mast 
with a lacing. Before setting the trysail the mainsail must be 
stowed and, in heavy weather, the made-up sail is lowered on 
deck and securely lashed. The trysail having been bent on to 
its gaff, the latter is attached to the mast by means of a parrel. 
The sail is then hoisted with the main and peak halyards, which 
are cast off the main gaff for the purpose. When set, the hoist 
of the trysail is nearly as great as that of the mainsail, but as its 
head is only about half the length of that of the mainsail and the 
foot also much shorter, the area of the sail is usually about the 
same as that of the mainsail when double-reefed. For running 
purposes in heavy weather it not only minimises the risk of 
damage from an accidental gybe, but, having more hoist than the 
reefed mainsail, is not so likely to be becalmed in the trough of 
the sea. Some yachtsmen, instead of using special sheets for the 
trysail, lash the clew to the made-up mainsail, using the latter 
as a boom. This is a great mistake, as by so doing they sacrifice 
most of the benefit they would otherwise derive from the sail. 


60 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


The jib-headed trysail, in my experience, is not a good form 
of sail for small yachts, as in the absence of any peak it has not 
sufficient driving power to counteract the windage of the hull 
when the latter is much heeled. I have on several occasions 
seen smart little boats get into trouble from this cause, and 
personally I would sooner sail under a reefed mainsail than rely 
upon a trysail of that type. 

A small yacht of wholesome design can be nursed through a 
lot of bad weather provided that she has plenty of sea-room, 
but the majority of small boat-owners confine their operations 
to comparatively short trips round the coast, and are thus seldom 
far from land. Should it come on to blow a gale of wind from 
seaward, a yacht during a coastwise trip might be embayed 
and caught like a rat in a trap. If it is your intention to go in 
for cruising of this nature you should as far as possible pick 
your weather for making a passage, for, as I have pointed out, 
the risk one runs when close to the land is often greater than that 
incurred far out at sea. 

Should you have a fair amount of leisure at your disposal 
the time is sure to come when you will want to venture further 
afield, for there is a spice of adventure in visiting a foreign country 
in your own boat that is irresistible. And if you have a good 
boat, suitably equipped for the job, there is not the slightest 
reason why you should not do so. Quite a number of craft of 
only four or five tons have successfully crossed the North Sea 
and Channel of late years, and a few have even ventured as far 
south as the Bay of Biscay. But if you decide to make an extended 
cruise of that nature you must be prepared to face any weather 
that may be encountered. Your inventory should include several 
articles not usually found on board of a coasting cruiser. Chief 
of these is a drogue, or sea-anchor. This, in its usual form, is 
merely a large conical bag made of stout canvas, which is sewn 
on to an iron ring, by means of which the mouth of the bag is 
kept open. It has a rope bridle fitted across the mouth to which 
the riding warp is attached. To prevent the drogue from sinking 
too deep, a cork buoy is attached with a few feet of line. Provided 
that she be faithfully built and has sufficient sea-room under her 
lee, quite a small boat will safely ride out a gale of wind; but 


HEAVY WEATHER 


61 


adequate sea-room is essential, for she will make a considerable 
amount of drift. The riding warp, where it passes over the bow, 
should be protected from chafe by some canvas packing. 

You have no doubt read of wonderful ocean voyages made by 
boats of no more than 15 or 16ft. in length, and may possibly 
have marvelled how such tiny vessels can safely traverse thousands 
of miles of open ocean. The secret of the whole thing is the drogue, 
and it would be a foolish mariner who ventured upon such an 
expedition without one. Perhaps the most remarkable voyage 
of this nature was that of Captain J. C. Voss in Tilikum at the 
beginning of the present century. I had the pleasure of meeting 
Captain Voss on several occasions after his arrival in this country, 
and he gave me some interesting particulars of his voyage round 
the world, which extended over four years, during which he 
covered some forty thousand miles. 



■lcao ijeiC'HT 

Fig. 4. 


In undertaking the voyage Captain Voss’s object was to 
exploit a new form of drogue which he had devised, and in order 
to prove its efficiency he selected the most unpromising type of 
craft that he could find. Tilikum was an old Indian dug-out 
canoe, 30ft. over all by 6ft. beam. Originally intended for pro¬ 
pulsion by paddles, her draught was only 16 inches until Captain 
Voss added an 8in. false keel. In preparation for her long voyage 
the boat was decked and fitted with a tiny cabin. In this con¬ 
traption, which was rigged as a three-masted schooner, Captain 
Voss sailed round the world, riding out sixteen great storms 
to his drogue in comparative comfort. Captain Voss informed 
me that, although at times he encountered seas running forty 
feet in height, Tilikum on no occasion shipped as much as a 
bucketful of solid water, and throughout the voyage he never 
failed to get a hot meal every six hours. 

The Voss sea-anchor (Fig. 4) was certainly a much neater 


62 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


and more convenient form of drogue than the usual type and, 
I should think, in some respects more efficient. It took the form 
of a pyramidical canvas bag, of which the mouth was extended 
by cross bars of hard wood bolted together in the middle. When 
not in use the bars could be folded up and, the canvas being 
wrapped round them, the whole could be stowed away in a 
compact little bag. The riding warp was attached to a bridle, 
and a tripping line secured to a becket at the apex of the bag, 
where there was a small hole to relieve the canvas from the 



Fig. 5. 

pressure of water when in use. Sewn in a pocket on one side 
was a piece of lead of sufficient weight to sink the drogue just 
below the surface. 

Captain Voss told me that when riding to the drogue some sort 
of stern sail, if not actually necessary, was desirable. If the 
vessel be rigged as a yawl or ketch, a small mizzen could be set 
for this purpose, sheeted hard amidships (Fig. 5). If a cutter or 
sloop, a storm jib might be set as follows. The tack could be 
secured amidships on the counter and the head set up with the 
main halyard, the clew being sheeted forward. With the aid of 
a small sail set aft in this manner, a small boat should be able 
to ride out pretty well any storm. With regard to the length of 











HEAVY WEATHER 


63 


the riding scope, Captain Voss recommended about eight 
fathoms. 

Although the small coasting yacht would not be likely to have 
sufficient sea-room under her lee to enable her to ride out a gale 
to a sea anchor, such an appliance might prove her salvation 
should she have to run for a neighbouring port. By the judicious 
use of a drogue towed astern the risk of the vessel being pooped 
can be much reduced. Iu the course of his long voyage, Captain 
Voss ran before a heavy gale and mountainous sea off the Cape 
of Good Hope and, thanks to his sea anchor, did not ship any 
water. When in New Zealand he gave a demonstration of the 


^7 



drogue in use for this purpose before seven thousand people. 
In an 18ft. open boat he crossed the dreaded Sumner Bar no 
fewer than six times in perfect safety. The method he employed 
when using the drogue in this manner was as follows : The sea 
anchor was towed astern by the tripping line, apex first, at a 
distance of about twenty-five feet, its riding warp being belayed 
slack at the stern of the boat (Fig. 6). Being capsized, the drogue 
offered but little resistance, and did not perceptibly impede the 
boat’s progress. The lead weight in the side of the bag kept the 
sea anchor steady, so that the riding warp and tripping line 
did not get foul of each other. On the approach of a threatening 
sea, the tripping line was slackened when the wave was distant 







64 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


from the boat about thirty feet. As soon as the strain was taken 
off the tripping line the drogue turned over and came into action. 
The effect was to check the vessel’s way just before the wave 
reached her, with the result that the dangerous breaking sea 
passed harmlessly beneath the boat. When the sea was well 
under the vessel the drogue was tripped again. The operation 
was repeated for every dangerous sea until the Bar was crossed 
and the boat in smooth water. 

Of course, if it is your intention to confine your sailing to 
comparatively short trips round the coast in fine summer weather, 
you might carry a drogue for years without once having occasion 
to use it, but should that occasion arise you might w r ant it very 
badly indeed. 

If you are caught out in heavy w r eather, far from the land, 
and have no drogue, all you can do is to heave your vessel to 
under either a trysail or close-reefed mainsail and storm-jib. 
The boom should be eased well off and the helm lashed amidships. 
A sea anchor, however, is far safer, for when hove to there is 
always a risk of some part of the gear being carried aw 7 ay. More¬ 
over, in a small yacht, when the mainsail is close-reefed, there is 
a possibility of its being becalmed when she is in the trough of 
the sea. In the absence of a proper drogue, one might be impro¬ 
vised from a spare sail and spars, or even the swamped dinghy 
with a bridle attached to the ring bolts in the bow and stern. 
As you could not place much confidence in such a makeshift 
you would probably have a very anxious time, and I think, 
therefore, that if you mean to do much cruising it will pay you 
to include a drogue in your vessel’s inventory. A sea anchor 
of the Voss type would cost but little, and could be stov r ed away 
in a very compact space. 

Even the smallest cruising yacht should carry the regulation 
lights on board, for owing to the vagaries of the weather a port 
cannot always be made to scheduled time. You may be becalmed 
for hours on end, and find yourself far from a port v r hen the shades 
of night close in. To be under way after dark without port and 
starboard lights is to run a grave risk, so you should carry them 
with you on all occasions, and see that they are ready for immediate 
use if wanted. In almost every yacht chandler’s shop you will 


HEAVY WEATHER 


65 


see exposed for sale pretty little lights of copper or brass, and they 
are very tempting to a small yacht owner who has not had 
much experience. As his boat is a small one he thinks the lights 
should be in proportion. Now, that is a fallacy. The lights of a 
small yacht should be in inverse ratio to her size, as, being so 
close to the water, they are not so readily seen as those of a large 
vessel, which are hung at a much greater height. The lamps 
should not only be large, but also of the best quality, fitted with 
paraffin burners protected from draughts by conical-shaped 
glasses. The lenses of ships’ lamps are of three kinds—plain, 
dioptric, and prismatic. Of these the prismatic are the most 
powerful for side lights, although dioptric are better for riding 
lights. The riding, or anchor, light is only used when the vessel 
is brought up and on a level keel, and for such a purpose the 
dioptric lens magnifies the light more than a prismatic or plain 
lens. When under way, however, the side lights are usually 
at an angle, varying according to the heel of the vessel, and the 
effect is to throw the rays down into the water instead of far 
ahead. When buying your lights, therefore, get prismatic side 
lights and a dioptric riding light. In addition to the red and 
green port and starboard lights, the Board of Trade regulations 
ordain that you shall show a white light astern, to warn over¬ 
taking vessels. Your riding light will answer this purpose. You 
should keep it alight in the cabin, and when you see another 
craft coming up astern, get it out and show it. If you keep the 
riding light in the well it will probably dazzle the helmsman 
unless covered up in some way. The sidelight screens should be 
of sufficient length and carefully fitted so that the port light 
does not show on the starboard bow and vice versa . 

What I have said about buying lights also applies to the 
binnacle and compass. Don’t be prevailed upon to purchase 
a piffling little toy with a colza lamp, for it will be worse than 
useless. You need not get a binnacle big enough for a liner, but 
whatever type you buy should have a serviceable lamp with a 
Barton burner. The compass must be a spirit one, for the ordinary 
card compass is a hopeless proposition in a small yacht. The 
motion of the boat will cause it to oscillate like a thing demented, 
and you will be a clever helmsman if you can steer an accurate 


66 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


course with such a compass. In a spirit compass the card floats 
in glycerine and its movements are slow and steady. If you 
cannot make your binnacle lamp burn, take it out and substitute 
a night light or a short length of candle. 

The best arrangement in a small yacht is to have a little 
plate glass window in the after bulkhead of the cabin and mount 
the compass inside. In this position it can be seen by the helms¬ 
man quite comfortably in most boats, and at night it can be 
illuminated by a gimballed candle lamp placed just at the side. 
The candlestick should be of brass, so that it does not affect 
the compass. Placed inside the cabin, the light will not blow 
out on the windiest of nights, and it willl be found very useful 
should you have occasion to refer to a chart. 

Before leaving the subject of long cruises and heavy weather, 
there is a sail, not hitherto referred to, which I must bring to 
your notice. This is the squaresail, which, after having been 
obsolete for many years, is again coming into favour for deep sea 
cruising. Running before a heavy following sea with a mainsail 
set is extremely trying, as there is always a risk of an accidental 
gybe, but if the mainsail be stowed and a squaresail set in its 
place that risk is removed. The yacht, moreover, will run far 
more steadily, and will not be so liable to broach to. The square¬ 
sail is set upon a yard of which the length should not exceed 
four-fifths of the hoist of the mainsail, and it should have one 
row of reef points capable of reducing its area by about one- 
third. The yard is fitted with a wire sling in which a thimble is 
seized in the centre for the halyard. It can be hoisted on the 
foresail halyard and the sheets led aft through bull’s-eye fair- 
leads. When running in heavy weather no other canvas need be 
set. Most cruising yachts which carry a squaresail dispense 
with a spinnaker. In moderate and light winds, when the square¬ 
sail is used in lieu of a spinnaker, one clew is pushed outboard 
by means of a pole, carrying a spike on the end which is passed 
through the cringle of the sail. The other end of the pole can be 
secured to the mast by means of a rope snotter similar to that 
used for a small boat’s spritsail. The sheet can be made fast 
to the foot of the mast. If it is intended to employ the squaresail 
in this manner it should not be made of too stout material. 


CHAPTER IX 

BRINGING UP 

When a yachtsman finds that his vessel has dragged from her 
berth he not infrequently attributes the cause to his “ rotten 
anchor,” but more often than not he himself is solely responsible. 
No anchor, no matter how good its proportions and shape may be, 
can be expected to hold a boat if the cable be allowed to fall 
in a heap on top of it, for in such circumstances it is almost 
sure to foul. In days of yore, when yachts’ anchors closely 
followed in design those of revenue cutters and other government 
craft, they were about as ineffective as they possibly could be, 
depending for their holding power mostly on their weight. Short 
in shank and with spade-shaped flukes, they possessed little 
natural holding power, were easily fouled by the chain, and broke 
your heart to weigh. But times have changed and in these days 
one seldom, if ever, sees a really bad yacht anchor. Some are 
certainly better than others, but all are fairly efficient if dropped 
with discretion. I have written on the proportions of anchors 
at some length in The Corinthian Yachtsman's Handbook , and 
do not propose to cover the same ground again, but I would 
impress upon the owner who is buying new ground tackle the 
desirability of having a light anchor and a heavy chain. 

For comfortable and safe riding the cable should hang in a 
festoon from yacht to anchor, but in heavy weather it will not 
do so if the chain be too light. Let us consider what happens 
when a yacht is riding to her anchor in rough weather. We will 
suppose that the waves are four feet in height and the vessel 
riding head on to a strong wind. As each wave reaches the boat 
the depth of water will be increased by 4ft.— i.e., the height of 

67 


68 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


the wave. Now, should she be riding to a light chain the yacht 
will probably have pulled it out quite taut, and to enable her 
to ride the sea she must leap forward in order to accommodate 
her riding scope to the altered depth. In doing this she will meet 
the wave with enormous force and one of several things may 
happen. First, she may drag her anchor ; secondly, she may 
tear out the bitts ; thirdly, she may break her chain ; fourthly, 
she may ship the sea; and fifthly, she may break the pawls of 
the windlass, if she be riding to the drum instead of to the bitts 
as she should be. Any one of these contingencies might lead to 
serious trouble. 



Fig. 7. 

Now, if you use a heavy chain, its weight will prevent its being 
pulled out straight, and it will hang in a festoon from yacht 
to anchor as it should do. When a big sea comes along the heavy 
chain will act as a spring and the vessel will ride in safety and 
comfort over the wave without shipping any water. Another 
advantage of putting the weight in the chain rather than in the 
anchor is that the latter will be handled much more easily when 
it comes to stowing it, and this in itself is no small boon in view 
of the fact that the job has to be tackled immediately after 
getting in, perhaps, fifteen or twenty fathoms of cable. 

Should you ever have to ride out a gale of wind to your anchor 
it is possible you may discover that the force of the wind is so 
great that even your heavy cable is fully extended. In such 
circumstances it will add enormously to your security if you lower 
a weight down the chain. The weight could be attached to the 








BRINGING UP 


69 


cable by means of a large shackle and lowered a few fathoms 
with a line. It would not, however, be an easy or pleasant job 
hanging over the bow in a heavy sea, fixing a makeshift weight 
to the cable with a shackle, and I should recommend you to carry 
on board a “ Sentinel ” (Fig. 7), which is a sort of hook devised 
specially for the job by Mr. W. Etty Potter. This Sentinel is a 
very ingenious appliance, but extremely simple. On the back 
of the hook is a sort of handle by which the weight, attached to 
h Sentinel by a k.hackle, can be lifted (Fig. 8). There is a kind 




of tongue on the hook which is open when the fitment is held by 
the handle and closed when it carries the weight. When it is 
desired to load the chain, the weight is lifted by the handle of 
the Sentinel and the hook dropped over the cable. The moment 
the handle is released, the hook automatically locks itself 
securely on the chain (Fig. 9), down which it can be lowered 
to the desired depth with a handline attached to the lower 
shackle of the Sentinel. Mr. Potter’s invention is not very easy 
to describe, but if you study the accompanying illustration 
I think you will see how it works. It would be advisable to carry 
a special weight for use with the Sentinel, as a pig of ballast 










70 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


might be difficult to make fast. An old condemned 56 lb. weight 
such as you can pick up for a shilling or so from a scrap merchant, 
would serve the purpose admirably, particularly if it were a 
round one with a ring at the top. With these preliminary 
remarks on the subject of anchors and chains, we can now proceed 
to the question of how to handle them to advantage. 

The thing to remember is that the anchor should never be 
dropped while the vessel is stationary, for if the chain be allowed 
to run out under such conditions it is likely to fall in a heap 
on top of the anchor and foul it. You must therefore make a 
practice of dropping the anchor when your boat is either moving 
ahead or astern. 

Should you be running with a lee-going tide, the method of 
procedure should be as follows As you approach the selected 
berth, stow the headsails and get the anchor ready for letting 
go. When you reach your berth, luff the yacht head to wind, 
but let go your anchor soon after putting down the helm. The 
chain should be allowed to run out freely, and if you let go at 
the right moment the vessel should carry just sufficient way 
to run out the proper scope of chain. By adopting this method 
you ensure the cable being drawn well clear of the anchor, and the 
friction of the chain as it passes through the hawsepipe will have 
the effect of driving the fluke of the anchor well home into the 
ground. Another way of bringing up under such conditions would 
be to luff head to wind and wait until the yacht began to drop 
astern before letting go the anchor. The chain should be checked 
the moment the anchor touches the ground, and then paid out 
gradually until the full scope has been given. The former, how¬ 
ever, is the better method, and less troublesome. 

If you are running to your anchorage against the tide it will 
be necessary to stow the mainsail before reaching your berth. 
To do this the yacht should be luffed head to wind. You can then 
fill on her again and run to the selected berth under headsails. 
When you reach the desired spot, lower the headsails and wait 
until the boat gathers sternway before letting the anchor go. 
Check the cable when the anchor touches the ground and then 
pay out the full scope. This, by the way, should be about three 
times the depth of the water at high tide, provided that the 


BRINGING UP 


71 


weather is fair ; but should there be a lot of wind, rather more 
cable should be run out. 

Beating up to an anchorage with a weather-going tide, lower 
your sails before letting go the anchor, for otherwise when the 
boat swings to the tide she will charge up over the anchor and 
possibly foul it. Should you have plenty of hands on board, the 
seamanlike method would be to lower the headsails before 
reaching your selected berth and let her jog along under mainsail 
alone. Then luff head to wind and lower away the mainsail 
smartly ; let go the anchor and check the chain until she has 
swung, when the full scope can be paid out. If you are short- 
handed and doubt whether you can get the mainsail off her 
quickly enough, your best plan will be to beat up past your berth, 
lower the mainsail, and run back under a headsail to the selected 
spot. The headsail can then be stowed and, when the vessel 
has gathered sternway, the anchor dropped and the proper scope 
of chain gradually paid out. 

If beating against the tide, lower the headsails when you reach 
your berth, luff head to wind, and wait for sternway before letting 
go. When reaching with the wind forward of the beam, employ 
the same methods as you would if beating to windward, and when 
the wind is abaft the beam proceed as if you were running. With 
the wind actually on the beam, or almost so, the best plan is to 
lower the mainsail and sail up to the selected berth under one of 
the headsails, which can be lowered before letting go the anchor. 
Of course it may be necessary sometimes, owing to exceptional 
circumstances, to depart from the methods described, but always 
remember that to ensure a clear anchor it is essential that the 
chain be dragged away from the anchor as soon as the latter 
touches the ground. 

However carefully you may bring up there is always a possi¬ 
bility of the yacht fouling her anchor when the wind blows 
against the tide, unless steps be taken to prevent her doing so. 
The best way is to give her a sheer, or, in other words, to lash 
the tiller a little to one side or the other. If the wind is not dead 
aft, and it very seldom is, the yacht should always be sheered 
to windward. If the wind is blowing straight over the stern 
it is immaterial which way she is sheered. 


72 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Now, although sheering your vessel should prevent her fouling 
her anchor when the wind is against the tide, it will be obvious 
to you that at the turn of the tide the conditions will change. 
It is quite possible that she may then foul her anchor in the act 
of swinging to the new tide. If it is your intention, therefore, to 
go ashore and leave your craft unattended until after the turn of 
the tide, you should moor her. You must remember that it is 
not the safety of your own vessel that is at stake, but also that 
of other craft brought up near you. To lay out a kedge may be 



KEDC& 

Fig. 10. 


rather troublesome, but in the circumstances it is the sporting 
thing to do. To moor your vessel, you must lay out your kedge 
astern, the idea being not to secure additional holding power 
but to prevent her fouling her anchor when she swings. If you 
have sufficient length of cable, the kedge may" be laid out from the 
yacht. Slack away on your cable until she has run out twice the 
necessary riding scope, then drop your kedge and haul in on the 
cable whilst you pay out on the kedge warp. When the yacht 
is midway between the anchor and kedge, make fast both cable 
and warp (Fig. 10). The warp should be secured to the cable 















BRINGING UP 


73 


by means of a rolling hitch (or some other suitable hitch), which 
should be lowered below the surface sufficiently to allow the yacht 
to swing over it. For security the end of the warp can be made 
fast on deck, in case the hitch should come untied. Of course, 
if you make it correctly, it won’t. 

Should your cable not be long enough to allow of your laying 
the kedge from the yacht, you will have to use the dinghy. Now 
let me give you a word of warning. Don’t play the fool when 
laying out a heavy kedge with a small dinghy, for more than one 
yachtsman has lost his life thereby. Even experienced yachtsmen 
are often guilty in this respect, for they are apt to take risks 
rather than put up with a little trouble. When laying out a heavy 
kedge you should sling it over the stern, secured to the ring-bolt 
with a piece of rope. Coil down the warp and capsize the coil 
so that it is ready to run freely, and then row away from the yacht 
in the desired direction. Keep your foot on the warp, if you are 
alone in the dinghy, so that you can regulate the speed at which 
it is paid out, and when you get to the end of the scope, drop 
the kedge by slipping it. That is the only prudent method ; 
but more often than not you will see yachtsmen carry the kedge 
in the dinghy and, when they are at the end of the warp, suddenly 
stand up and throw the anchor overboard. To save being pulled 
back by the spring of the warp, and thus losing distance, they 
snatch at the anchor hurriedly, and are in grave danger of going 
overboard. I have seen many a yachtsman, who should have 
known better, get a ducking in this way, and I don’t mind con¬ 
fessing I have done so myself. I shall never do it again, however, 
for men, like horses, grow cunning with age. 

When moored in the manner I have indicated, the yacht will 
ride alternately to her anchor and kedge as she swings to each 
tide and the cables, lying up and down the tideway, are not likely 
to be fouled by the anchor of any craft that may bring up 
subsequently. I would point out that it would not be playing 
the game to lay your anchors athwart stream in a recognised 
anchorage, as other vessels might get their anchors foul of your 
ground tackle. Should you, however, be brought up in open water 
on the coast, and have to ride out a blow to your anchors, you 
should for greater security moor with your bower anchor leading 


74 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


from one bow and the kedge from the other. In such circum¬ 
stances you would, of course, moor with open hawse to windward. 
If you have sufficient scope of cable, you can moor in this manner 
without taking the kedge out in the dinghy. First pay out a big 
scope on the bower anchor and then set one of the headsails with 
the sheet belayed a-weather. This will cause the yacht to drive 
away from her anchor, when the kedge can be dropped. Having 
stowed the sail, heave in on the cable and slack away on the warp 
until there is about the same scope on each. It is perhaps 
advisable to have a slightly greater scope on the cable, for should 
the anchors drag together, one will then back the other without 
fouling. 

The late Mr. R. T. McMullen, when anchored in an open road¬ 
stead, made a practice of using in lieu of the cable a stout bass 
warp, which, owing to its elasticity, certainly affords very com¬ 
fortable riding in rough w*ater. The only objections to this plan 
that I can see are the risk of the warp being chafed by friction 
with the fairlead and the bother of having to coil and dry a long 
warp after you get under way. If you fear that the warp used as 
a cable may carry away, you can effect a compromise by riding 
to your cable backed with a rope spring. To do this, haul in 
about a third of the riding scope and bend a stout bass warp to 
the cable with a rolling hitch, or some other that will not slip. 
Then pay out the full scope again and make fast the warp to 
the mast. Having done this, slack out the chain a bit more until 
the yacht rides to the rope. By these means you will secure the 
benefit of the spring of the warp, and yet have the chain cable 
in reserve should the rope break. 

I warned you just now about being careless when laying out 
a kedge with a small dinghy, and what I said then applies also 
to weighing the kedge. As a preliminary to getting under way 
you will have to break out the kedge, and your method of pro¬ 
cedure should be as follows :—You must first under-run the warp. 
To do this, haul the dinghy out to the kedge stern first, by pulling 
on the warp, which should rest in the sculling score in the transom. 
When you are over the kedge, you will have to break it out of 
the ground. If you are foolish, you will stand up, possibly on 
the after thwart of the dinghy, and engage in an unseemly 


BRINGING UP 


75 


struggle, which, as likely as not, will end in your taking an 
unexpected bath. But if you are prudent, as I hope you will be, 
you will pin the boat down by hauling the warp taut, take a turn 
round a thwart, and then crawl cautiously forward. The effect 
of this manoeuvre will be that the dinghy will break out the kedge 
for you, and then all you will have to do is to pull it up to the boat, 
secure it by hitching the warp round the thwart, and row back 
to the yacht with it. I have never known this method to fail, 
and it has the advantage of being safe. 


CHAPTER X 

MOORINGS 

Every yacht owner, particularly if he uses his vessel only at 
week-ends, should lay down permanent moorings for his craft. 
Such moorings not only make for the security of the yacht 
herself and of others using the same anchorage, but also save 
an immense amount of trouble when getting under way and 
bringing up. Don’t run away with the idea that because it is 
out of sight any old rubbish off the scrap heap will do for a 
mooring, for unless you have a good one you will be better 
with none at all. The ground and riding scopes you use for this 
purpose should be the best that money can buy in shcrt-link 
Admiralty-tested chain, and of generous weight. The anchors 
do not matter so much as long as they are of sufficient weight 
and a pair of old barge anchors, with one arm either cut off or 
bent dowm, will answer the purpose admirably, and can often be 
picked up very cheaply. Galvanised chain is not necessary as 
being always under water, it will not rust to any great extent. 
I believe it is exposure to the air when wet that causes iron to 
rust rapidly, and I understand it is a common practice to fill 
boilers with water to prevent rust when they are not to be used 
for a long time. It will be as well, however, to have, say, a fathom 
of galvanised chain at the end of the riding scope, so that the 
decks of the yacht are not sullied by rust. The riding scope must 
be attached to the ground scope with a strong swivel, or other¬ 
wise the constant swinging of the yacht at the turn of the tide 
might wind up the chain and draw the anchors together. The 
buoy rope should be of bass and of ample strength to hold the 
yacht, whilst the buoy should be a good “ floaty ” one that will 
not wash under when the tide is running hard on the first of the 

76 


MOORINGS 


77 


ebb. If tbe buoy shows a tendency to wash under, it is a good 
plan to attach it to, by a few feet of line, a small watch buoy. 
The length of the buoy rope should be rather greater than the 
depth of water at the highest spring tide. 

With regard to the chains, the length of the ground-scope 
should not be less than four times the depth of water at high water 
spring tides, and that of the riding scope not less than one and 
a half times the depth of water. The chains of both ground-scope 
and riding-scope should, of course, be of heavier gauge than the 
yacht’s cable. Before laying the mooring, screw up the shackle 
pins as tightly as you can with the aid of a marline-spike and 
then secure them with wire. If you are wise you will not use the 
yacht for laying the mooring, as the heavy anchors will be awk¬ 
ward to handle and the vessel’s rail and topside paint might be 
badly scratched. The waterman who looks after your yacht 
in your absence will probably keep a big heavy old boat specially 
for such jobs, and as you will probably enlist his services when 
laying the mooring, you may as well use his boat. When laying, 
the anchors must be lowered with a rope to ensure their falling 
business end down, and the mooring should be laid at low water 
spring tides. 

If the riding-scope has to be led through a hawse-pipe, the 
buoy rope should be attached some feet from the end of the chain 
so that you have a loose end to pass through the hawse-pipe. 
If, however, the riding-scope is led over an ordinary snatch 
fairlead on the stemhead, the buoy rope can be secured to the end 
of the chain. To save your topside paint, the portion of the 
riding-scope extending from the yacht’s forefoot to the fairlead, 
or hawsepipe, should be served with rope. On the buoy you should 
paint the name of the yacht and tonnage. This latter should, 
however, be considerably under-estimated with a view to pre¬ 
venting larger vessels making use of the mooring in your absence. 
If the tonnage of your vessel be, say, eight tons, put five tons 
on the buoy. If no tonnage be indicated on the buoy, some big 
yacht may in ignorance make use of the mooring, and either 
draw the anchors together or break the chain. Once a year the 
mooring should be lifted for examination, and it will be advisable 
to give it a good coat of tar before relaying. 


78 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


I should like to dispel a delusion under which a great many 
yachtsmen seem to labour. They think that the mere fact of 
laying down moorings gives them the right to make use of them 
at all times. It does nothing of the sort, for they have no more 
rights than if they were using their ordinary anchor. The position 
is this. The actual mooring is their property, but they have no 
prescriptive right to the berth it occupies, and if another craft 
happens to bring up close to the mooring so that it cannot be 
used without risk of fouling, the owner of the mooring is not 
entitled to pick it up. Every vessel in an anchorage is entitled 
to a clear berth, and if another vessel subsequently brings up 
so close as to give her a foul berth it would constitute negligence. 
Should the two vessels foul, and damage ensue, the owner of the 
one that had brought up last would be solely responsible. The 
fact of his owning the mooring would not affect the case at all, for 
in the eyes of the law moorings are merely regarded as a portion 
of the vessel’s gear. 

It is no doubt extremely annoying to return to the anchorage 
and find another yacht brought up so close to your mooring 
that you cannot use it without giving her a foul berth, but if 
the craft that has brought up first declines to move, you can do 
nothing. Most yachtsmen are good sportsmen, however, and in 
nine cases out of ten if you explain that you wish to pick up 
your mooring, they will shift. But it will depend very much on 
the manner in which you make the request. If you rudely order 
them away, they will probably tell you to go to a place that is 
said to be paved with good intentions, and you are likely to be 
involved in an unseemly slanging match. On the other hand, 
if you say “ Would you mind shifting a few yards so that we can 
pick up our mooring,” those on board the obstructing yacht will 
in all probability do so at once with a good grace. When one 
comes to think of it, it is rather silly to order another boat to 
move from a berth to which she is legally entitled, isn’t it ? 

It is probable that some day you will return to the anchorage 
and find a yacht brought up on top of your moorings with nobody 
on board. In such circumstances all you can do is to bring up 
to your anchor and wait, for if you moved her yourself you would 
be incurring a grave risk. You have no right to board another 


MOORINGS 


79 


man’s vessel and shift her. If you did so and she subsequently 
dragged and sustained, or inflicted, damage, you would be held 
responsible. Such is the legal aspect of the mooring question. 

Regarded from a sporting point of view, the owner who goes 
to the trouble and expense of laying down a mooring should be 
entitled to use it, and for another to prevent his doing so would 
be a very churlish act. It often happens that a mooring buoy 
will wash under when the tide runs hard on the first of the ebb, 
and a yacht bringing up to her anchor may not have the slightest 
suspicion of the near presence of a mooring. After he has been 
anchored for an hour or so, he may be surprised to see a mooring 
buoy suddenly bob up within a few feet of his boat. Should that 
happen to you, be prepared to move as soon as you are hailed 
by the owner of the mooring. Your action will be much appre¬ 
ciated by the owner, who will recognise you as a sportsman, 
and should he at any time be in a position to render you any ser¬ 
vice he will be only too pleased to have the opportunity of doing 
so. 

When visiting a strange port you may be tempted to pick up 
a vacant mooring, and provided the owner did not want to use 
it himself, he probably would not object to your doing so, if you 
did not ill-treat it. Before picking up the mooring, make sure 
that it is of sufficient weight to hold your craft, and then see that 
you ride to the chain and not to the buoy rope. If your yacht 
does not exceed the tonnage indicated on the buoy, you may 
rest assured that the mooring will hold your vessel, for it is the 
common practice to understate the tonnage on mooring buoys. 
The reason for not riding to the buoy rope is that you might 
chafe it, or even carry it away. Should there be anyone about, 
it would be advisable to ask if the mooring is likely to be wanted 
before picking it up ; but should there be nobody from whom 
you can enquire., you should remain on board and be ready to 
slip from, the mooring should the owner arrive. 

There is probably no manoeuvre in the practice of seamanship 
that causes the novice so much misgiving as picking up moorings. 
It is a job which requires some little practice ere one can tackle 
it with confidence, and the crude efforts of the beginner often 
cause a good deal of amusement to other yachtsmen. The point 


80 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


to remember is that a mooring must be picked up against the 
tide. If you try and get it when going with the tide, you will 
be asking for a lot of trouble. I once saw a five-tonner attempt 
to pick up a mooring when running with a fair wind and tide 
and all her sails set. There were two men on board, one at the 
helm and the other lying on the foredeck with his head and 
shoulders hanging over the bow, the vessel evidently being short 
of a boathook. She steered straight for the mooring with a good 
head of speed, and the man on the bow managed to grab the 
buoy. “ Don’t let go,” shouted the man at the helm, and his 
companion did not. He hung on bravely, and the next moment 
was in the river, cuddling the buoy. That is the sort of thing 
that will happen to you if you try and pick up your mooring 
with the tide. Even if you succeeded in getting the buoy on board 
and snatching a turn of the warp round the bitts, the warp would 
probably break. The method to adopt will, of course, depend 
upon the conditions obtaining at the time, but I will try and give 
you a few hints. 

The easiest conditions for picking up a mooring are when 
beating with a weather-going tide, for you can then sail past it, 
lower the mainsail and run back over the tide under the headsails, 
or one of the headsails if there is sufficient wind to enable you to 
stem the tide with either the jib or foresail alone. Lower the sail 
just before reaching the buoy, and the boat should then just 
carry enough way to enable you to pick it up with the boathook. 
Should the wind be very light and the boat unable to stem the 
tide under headsails, you can hoist also a bit of the peak of the 
mainsail. If, on the other hand, it is blowing very hard, lower 
all the sails and run back under bare poles. Should the boat 
travel too fast even without any sail set, have the bucket ready 
and drop it over the stern just before reaching the buoy, as that 
will assist in checking her way. If you are single-handed you may 
not be able to leave the tiller to stow the headsail when nearing 
the buoy, in which case the headsail should be sheeted hard in. 
Having got the buoy on board, belay the buoy rope on the bitts 
and let the yacht ride to it whilst the jib and foresail are stowed 
away. Otherwise you may get them wet and have to dry them 
before they can be put in the sail locker. 


MOORINGS 


81 


The conditions which the novice usually finds most trying are 
when running up to the mooring with a fair tide, for it requires 
nice judgment to round up the vessel and stop dead, with the 
buoy just under her bow. Before reaching the mooring the 
headsails should be stowed. Keep well down to leeward until 
abreast of the buoy and then commence to luff, at the same 
time hauling in the mainsheet. If nicely judged, the yacht 
should come head to wind with the buoy just under her bow. 
Until you have had some experience and gained confidence, it 
will perhaps be advisable to keep the jib set so that you can get 
the boat quickly under control again should you miss the buoy. 
But if you keep the jib on, you must let fiy the sheets as you round 
up. 

If the wind is on the beam the yacht should be luffed up to 
the moorings in the same manner as if she were running, but the 
mainsail must be smartly lowered as soon as the buoy rope has 
been made fast, or otherwise it will cause her to charge all over 
the place when she swings to the tide. 

The most difficult conditions that one can have for picking up 
a mooring are a strong tide and no wind, as in such circumstances 
all one can do is to drift on to the mooring, for it is obvious that 
it would be impossible to get back against the tide. When such 
conditions obtain I think the best method of procedure is to send 
the dinghy out ahead with a warp to tow the yacht. In this 
manner steerage way can be kept on the vessel and, when the 
mooring is reached, the man in the dinghy can make fast the 
tow line to the buoy rope. As soon as he has made fast, those on 
board the yacht should haul in the slack, and if smartly done 
they will be able to get the mooring chain on board and secured 
before any strain is thrown upon it by the vessel. As soon as the 
chain has been secured, the helm should be put over, and the 
boat will then be in the act of swinging to the tide when the 
mooring begins to pull her up. This will tend to ease the strain 
on the mooring. Another method of getting the mooring under 
these conditions would be to pull the yacht’s head round with a 
sweep and let her drop down to the buoy stern first; but it is 
safer to adopt the towing method if there are other craft brought 
up close to the mooring. 

G 


CHAPTER XI 

STOWING AWAY 

Having brought up, the sails and gear must be stowed and every¬ 
thing made snug for the night. You will find it best to commence 
operations upon the mainsail, for when that has been stowed 
you will have more room to work. First make sure that the sail 
is quite dry. A sail that is damp should never be coated, for 
nothing is more conducive to the generation of mildew. If the 
sail is found to be damp, it will be far better to stow it loosely 
and leave it uncoated until you have had an opportunity of 
thoroughly airing it. You must not assume that the sail is dry 
because there has been no rain, for if you bring up fairly late 
in the evening it is quite possible for the sail to be damp with 
dew. 

We will assume that examination has revealed no traces of 
damp, and will proceed to stow and coat the sail. Having placed 
the boom-crutch in position in its chocks, ease up the topping 
lift and gently lower the boom into the crutch. Then haul taut 
the mainsheet and belay it to obviate the risk of the boom getting 
adrift when you shake up the sail. The canvas tiers should have 
been placed in position on the boom before the mainsail was 
lowered if the sail was set when you brought up; but if you 
had to lower the mainsail prior to getting your mooring or letting 
go the anchor you will not have done so for if you had they 
might have dropped overboard. If the tiers are not already on 
the boom, place them there now conveniently spaced for tying 
up the sail when you stow it. Four tiers will suffice and they 
should be spaced as follows :—One, close to the goose-neck end 

82 


STOWING AWAY 


83 


of the boom ; another, where the end of the gaff will come ; 
the third, midway between them ; and the fourth, close to the 
outboard end of the boom. Having seen that all of the sail is on 
one side of the boom, lay the foot of the sail, if it is a loose-footed 
one, over the boom, allowing it to overlap a foot or so. Then 
overhaul the leach and lay that on the boom also, leading it 
forward as far as it will come. Stand on the opposite side of the 
boom to that on which the sail is lying and lean well over and get 
a good grip of the sail with both hands. Lift it up and then, 
placing your knee on the foot and leach to prevent them slipping 
off the boom, shake vigorously. Keep repeating the process, 
shifting your grip lower down each time, until the sail is neatly 
rolled up, when the tiers can be tied round it with reef knots, 
commencing with the one at the gaff-end. When the stow is 
completed, the foot of the sail will form an outer skin for the 
remainder of the canvas, and if it has been properly done there 
should be hardly a wrinkle. When made up, the sail is really 
lashed to the gaff, as the only tier that goes round the boom is 
the one at the gaff-end. A mainsail with a laced foot is stowed 
in the same manner, except that you do not have to lay the foot 
over the boom. A sail of that description is really easier to stow 
than a loose-footed one, as there is no risk of the foot slipping 
off the boom and allowing the bunt of the sail to fall through, 
which often happens when the yachtsman is careless. 

Having made up the mainsail, the cover can now be put on. 
Unshackle both main and peak halyards from the gaff and get 
out the sail cover. If you took the precaution to roll it up inside 
out when you took it off, the cover will be ready to go on. Lay 
the cover over the sail close up to the mast and lace up the part 
that goes round the mast. Then unroll the rest of the cover, 
pull it aft to take out any wrinkles, and lace it up throughout 
its entire length. To prevent the boom being permanently 
kinked with its own weight, the peak halyard should be set up 
to a canvas sling having a thimble in each end. The sling is 
wrapped round the made-up sail and spars about half way along, 
the two parts of the peak halyard being shackled to the thimbles. 
The halyard should then be belayed just taut enough to take the 
weight. If you have not a proper canvas sling, a spare mainsail 


84 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


tier, or even a short length of rope, will serve the purpose, the 
halyard being shackled to the tier. The main halyard block 
can be hooked into the rigging and the halyard belayed, but not 
too taut. 

Now unbend the headsails, and if they are quite dry stow them 
away loosely in the sail locker. Don’t trouble to roll them up 
neatly, for they will get more air if put away loosely. Hook the 
jib halyard to the traveller on the bowsprit to prevent the latter 
sliding along the spar, and if the sheets are not unrove they can 
also be shackled to the traveller. The foresail halyard can be 
hooked into the eye of the forestay temporarily, but you will 
want to use the halyard at sunset for hoisting the riding light. 
If the halyards are dry when you stow away, they should 
not be set up quite taut, as in the event of a shower of rain 
during the night they would shrink and all the life be stretched 
out of them. 

Having belayed the halyards they should be trapped; that is 
to say, one of the halyards should be wound round and round 
the mast and other halyards before belaying it. The object 
of this is to prevent chafe and noise. If the halyards be left 
free they will keep up an irritating tap-tap as long as there is any 
wind, and as sounds are much magnified in a boat, which forms 
a scrt of sounding board, the noise is quite sufficient to keep 
one from sleeping. Moreover, the constant tapping wears the 
ropes considerably. 

Running gear, such as runner falls, preventer backstays and 
the masthead stay, should never be set up very taut, or bent 
spars may result. When you have coiled down the sheets and 
mooring buoy-rope your task of stowing away is completed, 
but should you have got any seaweed on deck with the buoy rope, 
as one often does, it will be prudent to wash down the fore-deck. 
Seaweed that is allowed to dry on is exceedingly tenacious and 
very troublesome to remove. 

At sunset, lower your burgee (and ensign, if you are flying one) 
and hang up your riding light. The riding light should be hoisted 
on the foresail halyard to a height of about five feet from the 
deck. A line secured to the ring by which the lamp is suspended 
and passed round the forestay will keep the light midway between 


STOWING AWAY 


85 


the mast and forestay. Lanyards should be led from the bottom 
of the riding light at either side and set up taut to the bowsprit 
shrouds. These will keep the lamp from swaying about with 
the motion of the boat, and you will thus avoid a smoky glass. 
If you are riding to the tide and the wind is coming over the 
stern, give the yacht a sheer to windward and lash the tiller 
securely in position. Having attended to the needs of your vessel 
you can go below and turn your attention to the domestic 
department. 


CHAPTER XII 


RUNNING AGROUND 

It is the fate of almost every yachtsman to get his craft ashore 
at some time or other, and to the novice it is an incident likely 
to occur fairly frequently. It may arise through ignorance of 
the locality, mishandling the yacht, or holding on too long on 
the inshore tack. The last-mentioned is, I think, the most common 
cause of yachts being piled up, particularly when beating up a 
river against the tide. As the boat nears the shore she finds 
slacker water and begins to make appreciable progress against 
the tide. There is consequently a great temptation to hold on 
beyond the limit of safety in order to grab a few more yards 
to windward. Very often one is in the act of putting down the 
helm to go about when the vessel strikes the ground, which adds 
to the helmsman’s annoyance. But it is no good getting cross 
about it, for after all it is your own fault. Either you should have 
gone about sooner, when there was no question about there being 
ample water, or else you should have taken frequent soundings 
as you approached the shore. 

The recognised way of taking soundings is with a hand lead 
and line. The lead commonly used in small yachts weighs five 
or six pounds, and the line should be marked at every fathom 
of its length with bits of cloth of different colours so that the 
depth can be seen at a glance. When heaving the lead, it should 
be cast well ahead so that it is on the bottom and the line taut 
as you are just over it. It requires some practice to heave a 
hand lead efficiently, as the distance it is thrown ahead must 
depend upon the speed of the boat. The coil of the line should 

86 


RUNNING AGROUND 


87 


be held lightly in the left hand and the lead swung with the 
right, the coils of the line being allowed to slip off the fingers 
as the lead takes it out. As soon as the lead strikes the water, 
begin to gather in the slack. As the boat passes over the lead, 
the line should be straight up and down, or otherwise you will 
not get a true reading. If the yacht be travelling fast, it may be 
necessary to swing the lead right round before discharging it, 
in order to get sufficient impetus to heave it far enough ahead, 
and you should throw it from the lee side, or otherwise you will 
get very wet. When coiling down the lead line after use, remember 
that it must be coiled anti-clockwise as it is, or should be, made 
of cable-laid rope. 

For taking quick soundings when working up a narrow river 
or towards the shore, a light bamboo rod will be found a much 
more convenient implement than the lead and line. The rod 
should be some eight or ten feet long, and should have a ring 
painted round it at every foot, the colour being varied so that 
you can tell the depth at a glance. The ring which marks one 
foot greater than the vessel’s draught should be an exceptionally 
conspicuous one—a black band two inches wide would answer 
the purpose admirably. You will then know that you are all right 
so long as the water covers that mark when you take a sounding. 

Should you have the bad luck to get ashore, the method 
employed in refloating the yacht must, of course, depend upon 
the circumstances in which she went ashore. Let us first consider 
the case to which I referred at the commencement of this chapter. 
You have held on too long on your inshore board and have piled 
her up. If the boat does not draw more than 3ft. 6in. or 4ft., 
the quickest and most certain method of getting her off, particu¬ 
larly on a falling tide, is to jump overboard and push her off. 
It may sound rather undignified, but its efficacy cannot be dis¬ 
puted. If the tide is falling, don’t wait to take your clothes off ; 
jump overboard without hesitation and get under the bowsprit. 
Whilst doing this the headsail sheets should be allowed to fly 
so that the headsails are slatting in the wind. Get your shoulder 
under the bowsprit-end and heave up, at the same time pushing 
the bow round. As soon as the bow has moved sufficiently for 
the sails to fill on the new tack, back the headsails to assist her 


88 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


to swing a little more and then let them draw . The yacht will 
now sail off, and if you are not “ nippy ” in climbing on board 
you may be left behind. Your hurried bath will not hurt you, 
and anyhow it will remind you not to stand in so close next 
time. 

If the tide was flooding when you found the mud and you do 
not fancy going overboard, let the headsail sheets fly, and try 
and push her head round with a sweep. If the bottom is hard 
you will be able to do this without much trouble, but if it is of 
soft mud it is not always such an easy job as it sounds. If the 
jumping overboard method does not appeal to you and you are 
unable to push her head round with a sweep, the only course 
left is to take off the anchor in the dinghy, with a good scope 
of chain, and drop it. When you have got back on board, heave 
in on the chain. If the tide is rising she will soon come off, but if 
it is ebbing there will be an element of doubt about it. Possibly 
with the aid of the windlass, you may be able to heave her head 
round, but if the bottom is of soft mud it is quite likely that the 
anchor will merely pull through it. Should that occur you will 
have no alternative but to wait until the next flood floats you 
off. 

Of course, if you were in the act of going about on a flood tide 
when the yacht struck, and she was sufficiently far round to enable 
you to back the headsails, you will merely have to wait a few 
minutes and she will sail off. 

Now let us consider the case of the yacht going ashore when 
running. She will probably go on pretty hard and cut deeply 
into the mud. The only way is to haul her off the way she went 
on, that is, stern first. Lower all sail and then take out the kedge 
in the dinghy and drop it astern of the vessel. Lead the warp 
forward to the windlass, with the aid of which vou mav be able 
to heave her off. It may assist matters if you rock the boat from 
side to side so as to loosen her keel in the mud. If the yacht 
draws more water aft than forward, it will tend to reduce her 
draught if some of the crew get out on to the bowsprit. If, when 
the yacht strikes, it is possible to gybe over the mainsail, she will 
probably sail off without further trouble. Should you be unable 
to force the sail over against the wind for enough to make her 


RUNNING AGROUND 


89 


gybe, yon may be able to do so by lowering tbe sail and re-setting 
it, taking care that it goes up on the desired side. 

It is possible that you may get aground on a lee shore on the 
ebb and dry out. Then, during your long wait the wind may 
increase in force and a nasty sea get up. In such circumstances, 
when the flood tide refloats the yacht, she may be wind-rode, 
that is to say, she may be riding to the wind and not to the tide. 
You will of course have taken out your anchor and dropped it in 
deep water; but, even so, you will find yourself in rather a 
“ tight place,” for getting under way. Being wind-rode you will 
get no assistance from the tide, and with the shore close behind 
the boat, you cannot resort to a stern-board to make her pay off 
on the desired tack. Should she fill on the wrong tack )^ou will 
in all probability go ashore again and find yourself in a position 
of some peril. If the weather be really bad, laying out the anchor 
again by means of the dinghy would be an extremely hazardous 
undertaking, as in all probability the dinghy would be swamped. 
The best way to extricate your craft from such a position is by 
sailing out the anchor in the manner I described in Chapter IV. 
By adopting that method you will have the boat under control 
before breaking out the anchor, and all the time you will be leaving 
the shore further behind you. 

You should be careful not to cut things too fine at or near 
high water spring tides, for if you then get ashore you may be 
neaped and have to wait until the following springs, or even 
longer, for sufficient water to refloat the vessel. Many years ago 
I got a six-tonner ashore at the top of an abnormally high spring 
tide, and she was neaped for four months. Even at the end of 
that long period she was only refloated after much labour. I had 
to dig a trench for her for some forty yards across the saltings, 
remove all the ballast, and hire a big “ tripper ” to assist in the 
operations. 

If, however, you do get ashore at the top of the tide and fail 
to get the yacht off, study the tide tables and see what sort 
of tide the next should be. If you find that the tides are taking 
off, you must take steps to reduce your boat’s draught by re¬ 
moving the inside ballast. Of course, if all the ballast is on the 
keel you will have to resort to other measures. The best plan, 


90 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


in such circumstances, would be to borrow or hire two good-sized 
boats and pin them down to the yacht, one on either side ; or, 
failing the boats, a few empty barrels would do. If you have time 
before the next flood makes, dig a trench for the yacht’s keel. 
The anchor should be carried out at low water, in the best 
direction for pulling her off, and buried. 

At the next high tide, when you make the effort to refloat the 
boat, run the boom out over the side and lash it to the rigging, 
topped up a little. When the yacht is water-borne, by sending 
a man, or men, out along the boom, you will be able to list the 
vessel and thus reduce her draught by some inches. A few 
minutes before high water, start heaving on the windlass, and 
unless you are very unlucky you should succeed in getting her 
afloat. If you have no windlass, a purchase can be used instead ; 
but it will be found rather slow work, as the lower block of the 
purchase can only be secured to the chain a few feet down. 
If the method I have suggested fails, you will either have to leave 
the boat where she is and try again at the next springs, or else 
dig her out. 

When your yacht has run aground and all your efforts to refloat 
her have proved unsuccessful, you should sound all round the 
craft and then lash the boom over on the side on which there 
is least water to ensure her listing inwards. This precaution is 
important, for if neglected you may find that you are on a steeply 
shelving bank and listing outwards. In such circumstances she 
would lie over to such an angle that she might fill before lifting 
when the tide made again. Moreover, by listing her inwards 
you will save yourself a good deal of discomfort. 


CHAPTER XIII 


ACCIDENTS 

Of all the mishaps and accidents that occur in small yacht sailing, 
perhaps the most alarming is to lose a man overboard. If he can 
swim well and you handle your boat smartly, the risk of his being 
drowned is not very great; but, all the same, you will have an 
anxious time until he is safely on board again. It is a contingency 
for which you must always be prepared, as when anyone falls 
overboard, he usually does so suddenly and without the slightest 
warning. Every yacht should carry an efficient lifebuoy, which 
should be kept ready for immediate use. Some owners, fearful 
of losing their lifebuoys, lash them so securely that they could 
not be cast free for several minutes. Except that they usually 
bear the yacht’s name and club initials, a lifebuoy carried in 
that manner is useless, at any rate for the purpose for which 
it is intended. 

When a man falls overboard from a yacht under way, unless 
the lifebuoy can be thrown within a few seconds it will be 
impossible to cast it within his reach, for the yacht will be travelling 
at some speed. If a lifebuoy is lashed at all, it should be secured 
with nothing stronger than thin twine which could be broken 
if necessary with the’fingers. The moment the man goes over the 
side you should seize the lifebuoy and throw it as close to him 
as you can without actually hitting him on the head. Then turn 
your attention to picking him up as expeditiously as possible. 

It is not always an easy matter to pick up a man, particularly 
in heavy weather, for it is necessary to so manoeuvre the yacht 
as to bring her to a standstill, head to wind, close alongside of 
him. Let us consider how this can be done in the shortest space 


91 


92 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


of time. Suppose you are beating to windward when the man 
falls overboard, will you stay the yacht or wear her ? If you stay 
the vessel you will have to bear up as soon as she is about on the 
other tack and you will then find that you have sailed some 
distance from the man in the water. To get back you will have 
to gybe, and, one w T ay or another, you will have wasted several 
valuable minutes. Now, if you wore ship as soon as the man went 
overboard and then hauled your wind, the vessel would make 
a circle and come back almost to the same spot. In either case a 
gybe w T ould be necessary and it is clearly better policy to gybe 
straight away. Indeed it seems to me that the yacht under 
almost any conditions should be gybed rather than stayed for 
as you must pick up your man with the yacht head to wind it is 
obvious that she must be shot up to him from down to leeward. 
It is only by gybing that vou can at once get sufficient room to 
leeward to perform the manoeuvre. The only conditions under 
which there could, I think, be any room for doubt about the matter 
would be when running dead before the wind, and even then 
I am of the opinion that it would be better to gybe. 

If you have another hand available and the dinghy is towing 
astern, you should send the dinghy away at once to the assistance 
of the man overboard, but even if you do so, the yacht must be 
manoeuvred in the manner indicated above, for if the dinghy 
succeeds in picking him up, you in turn will have to recover 
the dinghy. Should you pick up the man with the yacht, you 
must be very careful not to run over him, a thing you might 
easily do in the excitement of the moment. Try to bring the vessel 
head to wind a few feet away from him, so that you can throw 
him a rope. 

It is not an easy matter to haul a man in wet clothes from the 
water, particularly if he be too exhausted to render much 
assistance himself. If you find it is beyond your strength, tie 
a rope round his waist and bend on one of the halyards. With 
the aid of the purchase you will soon have him on board. Don’t 
attempt to get an exhausted man into a small dinghy, as you 
may capsize it; lash him to the ringbolt in the stern of the 
boat and tow him to the yacht. Before leaving this subject, 
I w r ould urge you occasionally to practise the manoeuvre of 


ACCIDENTS 


93 


picking up a man. When you have nothing particular to do, 
throw a cork cushion, or a lifebuoy, overboard, and practise 
picking it up until you can do it expeditiously and with certainty. 
Even if you never have to pick up a man, your time will not have 
been wasted as you will thus learn how much way your boat 
carries and what room she requires in which to turn, knowledge 
that will prove very useful to you when picking up moorings, 
and on many other occasions. 

Among those who go cruising in small yachts, some sail for 
years without carrying away any gear whilst others are constantly 
in trouble. This is usually attributed to luck, but I am inclined 
to think that if you studied the matter you would find that the 
men who escape accidents are those who keep a constant eye 
on the condition of their gear. Halyards and sheets that are 
sound seldom carry away, mishaps of that nature usually being 
caused by the use of old and perished rope, or else by chafe. 
Still, mishaps to gear do occur at times to the most careful, and 
I will endeavour to give you a few hints as to how you should 
proceed in various circumstances. 

Should you carry away a shroud, you should throw the vessel 
round on to the other tack as quickly as possible and heave her to 
while you effect a temporary repair. Probably it will be the 
lanyard which has carried away, in which case reeve a new one ; 
or, should it be a rigging screw that has broken, substitute a 
lanyard for it. For this purpose you could use Hambro line, 
of which you should always keep a hank on board, threading 
as many parts as the thimble on the shroud and chainplate 
will hold. In the event of the wire shroud breaking, turn back the 
broken end, put on a seizing so as to form a loop, and set up 
the shroud to the chainplate with a tackle. Having effected 
your repair, put the yacht on her course and sail her easily to 
the nearest port, where a new shroud should be fitted. 

If you carry away a runner, it is almost sure to be when you 
are either running or reaching. Put the helm down at once and 
bring the boat round on to the other tack, but do not begin to 
haul in the mainsheet until the wind is just forward of the beam. 
When the yacht is round, haul the foresail to windward and heave 
her to whilst you effect repairs. The manner in which you repair 


94 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


the damage must depend upon the place in which the break has 
occurred. If it is the tackle of the runner that has carried away, 
all you have to do is to reeve new rope, but should it be the wire 
it may be more troublesome. A break in the lower part of the wire 
could be temporarily repaired by bending the broken end back 
and seizing it so as to form an eye in which a tackle could be 
hooked ; or possibly you could seize the upper block of the runner 
fall into the eye you have made in the broken end. By the way, 
when seizing wire rope, you should always put on a double 
seizing, two or three inches apart, for greater security. Should 
the wire of the runner be broken off short near the mast, it will 
be of no further use. In such circumstances the best thing to do 
would be to put a strop round the hounds and hook a tackle 
into it. Attach the lower block of the tackle to the runner plates 
and use the tackle as a runner. As the rope would have a tendency 
to stretch it would be necessary to keep an eye on it and set it 
up occasionally. 

Should you carry away a bowsprit shroud, throw round on 
to the other tack as quickly as possible and heave to whilst you 
repair the damage. If it is the lanyard that has broken, repair 
with a new one, and if the wire, fix it up in the same manner 
that you would a broken shroud or runner. In the event of the 
wire being broken off close to the cranse-iron on the bowsprit 
end, rig a rope bowsprit shroud and set your small jib, hauled out 
only half way along the bowsprit. 

It is possible that you may at some time or other burst your 
bobstav. Should you do so, bear up at once and run before the 
wind whilst you take in the jib. Then bring the yacht on the 
wind and heave her to whilst you effect repairs. If the bobstav 
is of chain it can be rejoined by means of a spare shackle, or if 
the links of the chain are too small for a shackle to pass through, 
use two shackles. If the bobstav is of wire, substitute a tackle 
and set your small jib half w r ay along the bowsprit. Occasionally 
the shackle through the stem carries aw r ay, in which case the end 
of the bobstay can sometimes be secured to the stem by means 
of copper wire, a number of turns being taken through the end 
link of the chain (or thimble of a wire bobstay) and the hole in 
the stem, finishing it off by twisting up the ends with a pair of 


ACCIDENTS 


95 


pliers. Should the tackle have been torn out of the stem, you 
can do nothing in the way of repairs, as there will not be anything 
to w T hich you can fasten. In such circumstances you must stow 
the jib and sail under mainsail and foresail. 

If you carry away your forestay, bear up and run before the 
wind whilst you carry out repairs. If the wire has gone near 
or at, the bottom splice, put a strop round the stay and set up 
with a tackle. It is possible, however, that the forestay may have 
broken at the upper end, in which case a temporary one will have 
to be rigged up. Unshackle the anchor chain from the anchor 
and hoist it up aloft with the spinnaker halyard. Send a man up 
aloft to pass the end of the chain round the hounds and secure it 
to itself with the shackle. Set up the chain taut with a tackle 
and then pass the chain twice round the bowsprit and secure it 
with lashings. When all has been made fast, the tackle can be 
removed and you will have a chain forestay strong enough to 
withstand any ordinary strain. When you want to bring up, 
you will have to do so temporarily with your kedge and warp 
whilst you get the chain down and bend it to the bower anchor. 

One of the most common accidents in yachting is to carry away 
a halyard or a sheet, and fortunately such a mishap is easily 
remedied. If the rope carried away is a halyard, either reeve a 
new one or, if you have not sufficient new rope on board to do so, 
repair the damage with a long splice, which will reeve through the 
blocks. Should you carry away a jib or foresail sheet, throw round 
on to the other tack and leave the boat hove to with the headsails 
aback. Get out sufficient new rope and having roughly measured 
oil the required length for a new pair of sheets, double the rope 
and seize in a suitable thimble. If there is any weight in the wind, 
lower the sail to bend on the new sheets, as you will thereby save 
time in the long run, and probably a clump on the head from the 
clew of the slatting sail when it escapes from your grasp, as it will 
almost certainly do if you try to screw up the shackle with the 
sail set. You can defer whipping the ends of the new sheets 
until after you have put the yacht on her course. 

When you carry away a portion of your standing or running 
rigging it is usually possible to effect some sort of temporary 
repair that will take you into port, but the loss of a spar is often 


96 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


a more serious matter, as you seldom have the materials or tools 
available for putting things right. However, you must do the 
best you can with what you have at hand. The spar that is most 
frequently carried away in small yachts is the bowsprit. In a sloop 
this is a serious loss, for it takes the forestay with it and the mast, 
being left entirely unsupported forward, may go by the board 
unless the vessel is handled very smartly. If you are sailing a 
sloop and lose your bowsprit, put your helm hard up and run 
the boat off the wind. The broken spar will then be towing 
alongside. Get it on board and unbend the jib. Then set up the 
jib halyard to the gammon iron temporarily to support the mast 
while you set up the forestay to the stemhead. Having made 
your mast safe in this way, set about clearing up the wreckage. 
If you have not very far to go to a port you will probably be able 
to jog along under the reefed mainsail and the small foresail 
set on the stemhead. If, however, there is no port near at hand, 
you should try and rig a jury bowsprit. If the bowsprit broke 
off short at the gammon iron, where they usually do, lash the heel 
of the broken spar to the bitts, shorten up the bowsprit shrouds 
and bobstay, or if you cannot do that, rig temporary ones, and 
set your second jib. Leave the forestay set up to the gammon 
iron as the jury bowsprit may not be strong enough to carry the 
weight of the mast when the yacht is on the wind. 

If your vessel is a cutter the security of her mast would not be 
affected by the loss of the bowsprit, and after the wreckage has 
been cleared away, she could be sailed under reefed mainsail and 
foresail. If you could rig a jury bowsprit of sufficient length 
to carry the second or third jib, it would be of great assistance 
in getting your craft into port. 

Should you carry away the gaff or boom, unbend the sail 
and fish the broken spar with the spinnaker boom or a sweep. 
To fish a spar is to lash tightly alongside of it another spar or 
a wooden batten. Having fished the broken spar as securely 
as you can, bend the sail again and make for the nearest port 
under the reefed mainsail. If you have a trysail on board, it 
will, of course, be better to set it in place of the mainsail, as a 
broken boom or gaff temporarily repaired might carry away 
again. 


ACCIDENTS 


97 


To lose your mast is about the worst accident that could 
happen to your yacht, and as such incidents usually occur during 
heavy weather the trouble is accentuated. Should this happen 
to you when sailing in a strong wind and heavy sea, cut away 
the shroud lanyards, unreeve the runner falls, and let the boat 
ride to the wreckage until the weather moderates. The wreckage 
will form a very efficient sea-anchor, and provided that you 
have plenty of sea-room under your lee, the yacht should ride 
it out in safety. When the weather has improved sufficiently, 
get the wreckage alongside and clear it away. First unbend the 
sails and unreeve the running gear, then salve the broken mast, as 
the expense of repairs will be much reduced if you are able to save 
all the fittings. Moreover, you may be able to rig a j ury mast out of 
the broken spar and thus get into port without assistance. To get 
the spar on deck, pass the bight of a rope round the mast at each 
end, making fast the inner ends of the ropes on deck. Then haul 
on the outer ends of the ropes simultaneously and the spar will 
be rolled up on to the deck. If a few feet of stump are left stand¬ 
ing, get the broken spar on end and lash it securely to the stump. 
To do this, rig a tackle from the masthead to the bowsprit-end, 
and ropes to take the place of the shrouds. Jam the end of the 
mast against the after side of the stump. Then let one or two of 
the crew lift the mast as high as they can from the deck whilst 
the rest of the hands haul on the tackle. As soon as the mast 
has risen sufficiently for the tackle to have effect, those holding 
up the spar should seize the temporary shrouds and guide the 
mast until it is upright. It will probably not be possible to get 
the mast on end unless you have a strong crew, but if you are 
able to do so, you could set the trysail, with a reef in it and the 
foresail and make a fair wind of it to the nearest port under your 
lee. 

The manner in which you effect temporary repairs must, of 
course, depend largely upon the nature of the break and the 
materials you have at your command, and what I have written 
above must be regarded as rough hints and no more. That 
necessity is the mother of invention is a very true saying, and 
it is astonishing what can be done by the exercise of a little 
ingenuity. It is essential, however, that you carry a good supply 

H 


98 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


of spare rope, blocks, shackles, and thimbles. You will notice 
that in my suggestions for repairing damage the use of a tackle 
enters largely. A “ handy Billy,” as a spare tackle is called by 
the sailor man, is a most useful thing to have on board, as it can 
be used for a variety of purposes. The tackle should have a 
long fall, so that it can, at a pinch, be used for a runner. Sufficient 
new rope should be kept to replace a halyard or a pair of sheets, 
and your boatswain’s department should include a supply of 
stout copper wire. 


CHAPTER XIV 

STRANGE HARBOURS 


Entering a strange harbour is a rather trying experience for a 
novice, and it is quite likely that he may lose his head. As he 
approaches his destination he can see the pier heads which mark 
the entrance, but beyond all is terra incognita. He has not the 
least idea what he will find inside the piers nor where be has to 
berth his vessel, and this element of doubt is apt to make him 
nervous. 

As an illustration of how not to do it, I will tell you of an 
incident that happened at Lowestoft many years ago to some 
friends of mine. We were cruising in company, I in a little boat 
I owned at that time and my friends in an old converted ship’s 
lifeboat, a craft of about seven tons Thames measurement. We 
had sailed from Harwich early that morning, and my craft being 
a good deal the faster I arrived at Lowestoft quite an hour 
before them and was securely moored in the tier before they 
put in an appearance. There was a fresh breeze blowing straight 
into the harbour, and I was amazed to see them coming in with 
all their sails set and even a topsail aloft. It was regatta time 
and the yacht basin crowded to congestion. If ever anyone 
asked for trouble, my friends did so then, but they were com¬ 
parative novices and had never been to Lowestoft before. In a 
few moments they were in the yacht basin, where there is not 
too much room at the best of times. Right ahead of them was the 
quay ; on their starboard hand, a pier ; and to port, a tier of 
yachts, each being but a few yards distant. To their dismay 
they discovered that they had run into what was in effect a 
cul-de-sac. Their topsail—a recent purchase of which they were 

99 


> > > 


100 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


inordinately proud—was laced to the topmast, which meant 
that someone must go aloft to unlace it ere they could get the 
sail down. It was obvious that sail could not be reduced in 
time to be of any use, and they completely lost their heads. 
The man at the helm put his tiller hard down, probably in the 
forlorn hope of bringing her head to wind. Had she been, say, 
a six metre boat she might just have squeezed round in the 
extremely limited space to windward ; but she was a lumbering, 
unhandy vessel, that required a deal of room and plenty of time 
in which to go about. The next moment she charged into the 
tier of yachts and struck a smart steam yacht which was in the 
act of warping into her berth. Fortunately the blow was a side¬ 
long one and no serious damage was done, but my friends 5 dis¬ 
reputable old hooker scraped all along the steam yacht's side 
ere she was pulled up by a tangle of mooring warps. The only 
visible result of the accident was a long streak of black paint 
on the beautiful white topside of the steam yacht. 

I, in company with a small army of watermen, hurried off 
to render assistance, and we soon unravelled the tangle and moored 
the boat. It cost my friends quite a lot in the way of tips to the 
watermen, and that was not the only unpleasant feature, for they 
had to lie next to their victim for the best part of a week. The 
skipper of the steam yacht never failed to comment on their 
seamanship whenever any of them appeared on deck, and his 
remarks on the subject were not only to the point but couched 
in language which at times bordered upon the obscene. To be 
consistently abused by a master of the art in the presence of 
a considerable audience on the pier just above, was intolerable ; 
but, having made such a hash of coming in, my friends dared 
not attempt to go out again until after their unpleasant neighbour 
had left. 

I have told you this little story just to show you how foolish 
it is to sail haphazard into a strange harbour without making 
any preparations for bringing up. Nobody knows what he may 
meet when entering a harbour of this description, and it is there¬ 
fore necessary to be prepared for any contingency that may 
arise. On rounding the pierhead you may find yourself mixed 
up with a crowd of smacks coming out, or, what is worse, you 


STRANGE HARBOURS 


101 


may discover a warp stretched tightly across the mouth of the 
harbour. At Lowestoft, smacks occasionally get swept on to the 
north pier when coming out, and it is the practice to run a warp 
off to the south pier by which to haul off. In such circumstances, 
if you luff close round the pierhead, as you would on an ebb tide, 
you may be right on top of the warp before you even notice it. 

Before attempting to enter one of these artificial harbours 
you should make sure that any implement you are likely to require 
is ready for immediate use. The anchor should be got over the 
bow and a scope of chain overhauled in readiness for letting go 
in a hurry. A warp should be made fast to the bitts forward 
and another secured on the counter, both being carefully coiled 
down. The sweeps should be cleared ready for use and the 
crutches shipped ; the topping lift should be set up and the 
coils of the halyards cleared so that any sail can be lowered without 
loss of time. Last but not least, have your fendoffs ready in case 
of need. Should you be carrying your dinghy on deck, get it 
overboard and see that the sculls and rowlocks are in their places 
read}^ for use. That is about all you can do in the way of prepara¬ 
tion so far as your boat is concerned, but you should, if possible, 
get some idea of the geography of the harbour. On many charts 
large scale diagrams of important harbours are shown, and if 
there is one of these for the harbour you are about to enter, it 
will repay you to study it for a few minutes. Failing that, you 
may be able to glean some information from a nautical almanac 
or a pilot’s guide. 

Should the wind be blowing straight out of the harbour when 
you enter, you must, of course, carry sufficient canvas to enable 
you to beat up to your berth ; but you should not in any circum¬ 
stances carry a topsail. As soon as you are inside the pierheads, 
look out for any yachts brought up, as they will indicate the por¬ 
tion of the harbour where yachts are permitted to berth. Having 
located the yacht anchorage, look out for a mooring buoy to 
which to make fast and beat up towards it. When it is near at 
hand, send away the dinghy with a warp, and luff head to wind. 
As soon as the warp has been made fast, lower away your sails 
and let her ride to the buoy whilst you ascertain the custom of 
the port as regards mooring. If the yachts have to moor in a tier, 


102 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


warp your vessel into place stern first, taking care tliat other 
vessels’ warps do not get jammed between your rudder and 
sternpost as you pass over them. If there is anyone on board 
the yachts on either side of you, hail them and ask them to slack 
up their warps, but if there is not, you must push them down 
with a boathook, or sweep, until they are under your vessel’s 
keel. Having got your boat into position, moor her securely 
“ all fours.” To moor “ all fours ” is to lay out a warp from either 
bow and either quarter. 

Should the wind be on the beam when vou enter the harbour 

V 

it will be advisable to keep the mainsail set, as your headsails 
would probably be becalmed when you got under the lee of the 
pier. Have your topping-lift set up and the halyards ready for 
lowering away in a hurry. In any case, under such conditions, all 
sail should be lowered when you have sufficient way to reach 
your mooring buoy, and the dinghy then sent away with a 
warp. 

If the wind is blowing straight into the harbour, lower your 
mainsail outside and run in under headsails, which should be 
stowed when you have sufficient way to reach a mooring buoy. 
You must remember, however, that there is usually a strong tide 
setting across the mouth of such a harbour, and if the wind is 
light it may be necessary to keep your mainsail set to eliminate 
the risk of being carried on to the pier by the tide. If you keep 
your mainsail up, however, you must be ready to low T er it as soon 
as you are inside the pierheads and no longer feel the influence 
of the cross tide. 

Should you be single-handed, your difficulties are much 
increased, as you have no one to send away in the dinghy with 
a warp. The safest thing to do when alone is to sail up close 
to the berth you intend to occupy and drop your anchor with a 
short scope of chain. Then take a warp off to the buoy and make 
fast. You can then warp her into the tier at your leisure after 
getting your anchor. As a matter of fact, at most ports a water¬ 
man is sure to row r off to meet you as you come in, and for a 
moderate tip will help you to moor your craft. After a long and 
tiring passage you will probably think the money well spent. 

One of the most unsatisfactory berths that you can have is 


STRANGE HARBOURS 


103 


when lying alongside a quay in a harbour that dries out at low 
water, for if steps be not taken to prevent the yacht doing so, 
she may list outwards when she takes the ground. Even if you 
decide to stay on board to tend the warps, there is the night to 
consider, and it is not by any means pleasant having to turn out 
of bed in the small hours of the morning to look after the boat. 
It is, moreover, within the bounds of possibility that you may 
not wake up, and then the first intimation you will receive 
that your craft has taken the ground, is falling out of your 
bunk. The usual method employed for keeping a vessel upright 
when she takes the ground is a mast-head spring. The main 
halyards can be used for this purpose. Having unhooked the 
halyard from the gaff, take it ashore and make it fast to a bollard 
on the quay, or anything else that may be handy. Bv carefully 
adjusting the warps you ma}^ be able to arrange matters so that 
the mast-head spring takes the strain just before the warps 
at bow and stern, thus giving the boat a slight list inwards as 
she settles on the ground. It requires very nice adjustment, 
however, and until you have taken the ground at least once 
you will not know how much slack to allow on the mast-head 
spring. 

A better way, I think, is to make use of a rope with a block 
spliced in the end. The rope is made fast round a bollard ashore 
in such a manner that the block just comes over the edge of the 
quay. One of the halyard falls, say that of the spinnaker halyard, 
is rove through the block, and then made fast to the fife-rail, 
or cleat, as usual. As the vacht rises or falls with the tide, the 
halyard renders through the block and the lateral strain is always 
maintained. Perhaps the best method of all is to take the main 
halyards ashore in the usual way and hang a weight, say the 
kedge, on the halyard. The weight will be quite sufficient to 
make the yacht list inwards when she takes the ground, and you 
can leave her to look after herself at low water. This method 
is always employed by the waterman of the Fambridge Yacht 
Club when he lays a boat alongside the stage for painting pur¬ 
poses, and I have never known it fail. In fact, I do not see how it 
very well could, unless some mischievous small boy played the 
fool with your warps. 


104 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Should you enter a harbour such as Ramsgate, where craft 
lie in deep water gullies alongside the quay, try and make fast 
to some other vessel already berthed, as that will save you the 
bother of tending warps. Probably you will find a smack, or 
tug, which will allow you to lie alongside of her, provided you put 
out your fendoffs, and if you give the skipper a tip he will keep 
an eye on your boat when you are ashore. As he is pretty sure 
to have taken up a berth by one of the ladders you will be able 
to get ashore without using your dinghy, which you can leave in 
a safe place astern of the yacht and out of the reach of the youth¬ 
ful population of the port. 

Whatever harbour you enter you must remember that you 
are under the jurisdiction of the Harbour Master and must do 
what he tells you. It is, no doubt, extremely annoying to be told 
to shift, without any apparent reason, from some particularly 
desirable berth you have taken up, but if the Harbour Master 
tells you to move, you have got to, and there’s an end of it. 
It is not of the slightest use arguing the point, for you will only 
put the man’s back up and he will probably rub it into you 
all the time you are in the harbour. 

I should strongly advise you to keep out of these artificial 
harbours unless you have some special reason for visiting such a 
port. In the first place you have to pay dues, which are calculated 
on the registered tonnage of vour boat; secondly, it is annoying 
to have a crowd of people watching your domestic operations 
from the quay; thirdly, such harbours are usually intolerably 
dirty, and you get your craft covered with dust and grime; 
fourthly, you have the bother of tending warps to which I have 
already referred ; and finally, you will often experience consider¬ 
able difficulty in getting out owing to the tangle of other vessels’ 
warps. If there were always men on neighbouring craft to slack 
up their warps it would not be so bad, but more often than not 
they are left unattended. You then have no alternative but to 
pass over the obstructing warps. Each in turn has to be forced 
down with a sweep or boathook until it is under your keel, 
and if there is not a guard between your stern post and rudder, 
you may get into a pretty mess ere you are free. To get a warp 


STRANGE HARBOURS 


105 


firmly jammed between your rudder and stern post is the very 
devil, and I know of few things more exasperating. 

It is far better to seek an anchorage in some natural harbour 
or quiet creek, where you can get under a weather shore and have 
a snug berth, free from all dirt and other annoyances. And, 
what is more, you will get far more sailing, for if you put into a 
harbour such as Lowestoft or Ramsgate, you will probably 
stay four or five days, simply because it is such a bother to get 
out again. 


CHAPTER XV 

RULE OF THE ROAD 

Before you venture to take charge of a yacht it is essential that 
you master the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 
more commonly called the Rule of the Road. It is not only for 
your own safety that you should know the rules but also for the 
security of others, for anyone fooling haphazard in a boat is a 
menace to all others in the vicinity. You will find the regulations 
printed in extenso in any nautical almanac, and when you see 
that they fill a good many pages you will probably be aghast 
at the thought of having to commit so much to memory. You 
may take comfort, however, for it is quite unnecessary ; all you 
have to do is to master the principle, which is comparatively 
simple. 

The principal regulations, from the yachtsman’s point of view, 
are those dealing with steering, which are as follows 

(a) A vessel which is running free shall keep out of the way 
of a vessel which is close-hauled. 

(b) A vessel which is close-hauled on the port tack shall keep 
out of the way of a vessel which is close-hauled on the 
starboard tack. 

(c) When both are running free, with the wind on different 
sides, the vessel which has the wind on the port side shall 
keep out of the way of the other. 

(d) When both are running free, with the wind on the same 
side, the vessel 'which is to windward shall keep out of the 
way of the vessel w T hich is to leeward. 

(e) A vessel -which has the wind aft shall keep out of the way 
of the other vessel. 


106 


RULE OF THE ROAD 


107 


Now, if you study these rules carefully, you will notice that 
there are two main points. When vessels are meeting, the one 
with the wind on the port side always has to give way to the one 
with the wind on her starboard side; and when they have the 
wind on the same side the one to windward must give way. 
If you are both beating to windward and you are on the port 
tack when you meet the other craft, it is your duty to give way, 
but if you are on the starboard tack, you hold your course and the 
other vessel must keep clear of you. Now, suppose you are run¬ 
ning with the wind coming over your port quarter and your boom 
to starboard and there is another craft, also running but with 
the wind on her starboard quarter, and risk of collision is involved 
owing to the two boats converging. By clause (c) it is up to you 
to keep clear. You must remember that a vessel is on the port 
gybe when her boom is over to starboard and vice versa. So far 
as the regulations are concerned it does not matter in the least 
if she be running by the lee. Of course in such circumstances 
the wind would actually be coming over the starboard side, 
but she would still be reckoned to be on the port gybe because 
her boom is over to starboard. It will be obvious to you that it 
would not do to leave it to the judgment of the helmsman to 
decide from what direction the wind was blowing some little 
distance away; there must be visible means of deciding the 
matter. A vessel is therefore always deemed to have the wind 
on the side opposite to that on which she is carrying her boom. 
You must therefore remember that when two boats are meeting 
with their booms out on opposite sides, the one with her boom to 
starboard—that is to say, on the port tack or gybe—has to give 
wav. 

Novices often seem to get the impression that a vessel which 
appears to have the wind rather more free than one she is meeting 
has to give way, but that is not so. If such questions were left 
to the judgment of helmsmen I fear the regulations would cause 
more collisions than they prevented. Let us suppose that your 
boat and another are meeting, both having the wind on the beam, 
or nearly on the beam. You have the wind on the port side and 
the other vessel on the starboard side. Neither you nor the helms¬ 
man of the other craft could decide with any degree of certainty 


108 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


which had the wind the more free. It is obvious therefore that 
you could not apply clause (e) to the situation. Neither would 
clause ( a ) meet the case, as neither vessel is close-hauled, for a boat 
is only close-hauled when she is sailing as close to the wind as 
she can with advantage. The two yachts are, in fact, reaching, 
but if you look through the regulations you will find no mention 
of reaching at all. The only terms stated in the rules are “ close- 
hauled ” and “ running free.” It must be assumed therefore 
that a vessel is either doing one or the other. As in the case 
which we are considering, the two vessels are not close-hauled, 
they must be running free, within the meaning of the regulations, 
and the position is therefore covered by clause (c) and you, having 
the wind on the port side, must give way. 

A vessel is amenable to the regulations when she is under way, 
and she is deemed to be under way except when at anchor, 
aground, or made fast to the shore. Don’t forget that when your 
craft is hove-to she is technically under way. It is a common 
delusion of the inexperienced yachtsman that when his vessel is 
hove-to, all others must give way to her because she is practically 
motionless. Nothing of the kind. If she is hove-to on the port 
tack and risk of collision is involved with a craft close-hauled 
on the starboard tack, it is her duty to give way. If she failed 
to do so and damage resulted she would be held responsible. 
If, therefore, you are hove-to on the port tack, and you see 
another craft coming along on the starboard tack, let draw your 
foresail in good time so that you are in a position to give way to 
her. If you want to heave to for any length of time and do not 
wish to be disturbed, make a point of heaving to on the starboard 
tack and then you will hold the right of way in any case. 

When it is your duty to give way to an approaching vessel, 
do so in good time, or otherwise the other boat may be misled 
as to }mur intentions. To hold on to the ver}^ last moment before 
giving way is not only unsportsmanlike but also foolish, for if 
a collision occurred you would be responsible. If the other craft 
struck you whilst you were in the act of going about you could 
not claim to have complied with the regulations. The rules do 
not tell you to go about, they tell you to “ keep out of the way,” 
and the mere fact that a collision had occurred would be sufficient 


RULE OF THE ROAD 


109 


evidence that you had failed to keep out of her way. You should 
always give way in sufficient time to eliminate any possible 
doubt as to your intentions. There is nothing heroic in holding 
on to the last moment: it is merely silly. 

Of course, if it is obvious that by holding on you will clear 
the approaching craft by many yards, there is no occasion to 
give way, as you have a perfect right to sail where you like 
so long as a risk of collision is not involved ; but, when beating 
to windward on a tideway, you must be careful. If, when on the 
port tack, you are meeting another boat that is on the starboard 
tack, watch her closely, and if possible observe her position in 
relation to some stationary object on the shore. If you appear 
to be opening out the mark ashore you will go clear, but if, on 
the other hand, the relative positions of the approaching boat 
and the mark ashore do not alter, it is extremely likely that a 
risk of collision will arise, and you should go about. Unless you 
feel absolutely certain that you will clear the other boat, make 
a point of giving way. Remember that the onus of keeping 
clear rests on the vessel on the port tack, and don’t take any 
risks. 

Everyone is liable to make an error of judgment sometimes, 
and some day or other you may try and cross another craft 
when you are on the port tack and at the last moment find that 
you are unable to do so. In such circumstances the proper thing 
to do is to let your headsail sheets fly and put down your helm. 
By so doing you may avert the impending collision altogether, 
and even if the two boats touch it will be a sidelong blow that is 
not likely to cause much damage. Don’t bear up and attempt 
to pass under the other vessel’s stern, for if you failed you would 
hit her end-on and ramping full, in which case the damage 
could hardly fail to be serious. 

Should you make an error of judgment of this nature, don’t 
forget that you are at fault. Offer an apology to those on board 
the craft you have fouled or inconvenienced, as the case may be. 
You will probably receive a cheery acknowledgment, such as 
“ That’s all right; everyone makes a mistake sometimes.” 
Otherwise the offended yachtsman may go ashore and tell others 
that “ the blighter fouled us when we were on the starboard 


110 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


tack and pushed oh without a word,” and you will get a name 
for bad sportsmanship. 

In considering these hypothetical cases I have put you in the 
position of the man who has to give way, but we will now look 
at the other side of the picture and suppose that you hold the 
right of way. You must not think that when you are in that 
fortunate position you have no responsibilities at all. You might 
easily get that impression from Article 21 of the Regulations, 
which states : “ Where, by any of these rules one of two vessels 
is to keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course and 
speed.” If you read no further you would conclude that you were 
enjoined to take no notice at all of the other boat, but simply 
to sail on. The article I quote, however, only applies when the 
vessel you meet fulfils her obligations. There is a general rider 
to the rules which reads : “ Nothing in these rules shall exonerate 
any vessel, or the owner, or master, or crew thereof from the 
consequences of any neglect .... of any precaution which may 
be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special 
circumstances of the case.” You will see, therefore, that in the 
event of another vessel failing to comply with the regulations, 
the other must do everything in her power to avoid a collision. 
If she failed to do so, she would be guilty of contributory negli¬ 
gence. 

There is another steering regulation, and a very important one, 
to which I have not yet referred. It is contained in Article 24, 
and reads as follows :— 

“ Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, every 
vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of 
the overtaken vessel. Every vessel coming up with another 
vessel from any direction more than two points abaft her 
beam— i.e., in such a position, with reference to the vessel 
which she is overtaking, that at night she would be unable 
to see either of the vessel’s sidelights—shall be deemed to be 
an overtaking vessel; and no subsequent alteration of the 
bearing between the two vessels shah make the overtaking 
vessel a crossing vessel within the meaning of these rules, or 
relieve her of the duty of keeping clear of the overtaken 
vessel until she is finally past and clear. As by day the 


RULE OF THE ROAD 


111 


overtaking vessel cannot always know with certainty whether 
she is forward or abaft this direction from the other vessel, 
she should, if in doubt, assume that she is an overtaking 
vessel and keep out of the way.” 

Although the intention of this rule is very clear, I wish to 
draw your particular attention to it, as it conflicts with the over¬ 
taking rule of the Yacht Racing Association, which permits the 
overtaken yacht to luff as she pleases to prevent another passing 
her to windward. It must be remembered, however, that the two 
rules were framed with very different objects. That of the Board 
of Trade was made with the sole object of preventing collisions, 
whilst that of the Y.R.A. was drafted to relieve the overtaken 
yacht from the handicap of being blanketed by the vessel over¬ 
taking her. 

It is certainly very galling to be passed to windward, and a 
yachtsman, particularly if he is accustomed to racing, may 
begin to luff, almost by intuition, to prevent another boat over¬ 
taking him in that manner. Don’t forget that the only occasion 
when you are permitted to do so is in the course of a race under 
Y.R.A. rules. When you are merely cruising and another craft 
comes up on your weather, you must let her go by, for the Board 
of Trade Regulations distinctly tell you that when you do not 
have to give way you must keep your course and speed. 

By the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea all steam 
vessels and other craft under power, such as motor boats, have 
to give way to everything else. In practice, however, they 
unfortunately do not always do so. When meeting a steam 
vessel therefore, you should be ready to give way in the event 
of her failing to comply with the regulations. When a big steamer 
declines to give way to you, don’t jump to the conclusion that it 
is a case of the little boat being ignored owing to her insignificant 
size. It is far more likely that the big vessel cannot give way 
owing to her great draught. To the owner of a little slip of a 
boat drawing perhaps 4ft. the channel may be wide and deep, 
but to a craft that requires perhaps 30ft. of water in which to 
float, it may be so narrow that the skipper would run a grave 
risk of piling up his vessel if he made any deviation from his 
course. Occasionally one comes across a yachtsman of the 


112 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


truculent don’t-care-a-dam n-for-anyone type, who, when he holds 
the right of way, flatly declines to budge for another craft in any 
circumstances whatsoever. Don’t follow his example, for sooner 
or later he is going to find trouble. If you meet a big steamer that 
is evidently not going to get out of your way, assume at once 
that she cannot do so and give way yourself. By such action 
you will not be displaying timidity but prudence. If you were 
motoring and the driver of a charabancs, full of beer and bonhomie , 
cut in between you and another vehicle you were meeting, would 
you insist on your rights and hold on ? No ! you would dance 
on your brake and let the “ thruster ” through, knowing very 
well that you would risk your life if you did otherwise. Well, 
you should exercise the same prudence afloat and keep out of the 
way of the big fellows. The big steamer, moreover, will be on 
business, whilst you are on pleasure, and for that reason alone 
she is entitled to some consideration. 

When a steam vessel alters her course to give way to an 
approaching craft, she signifies the same with her siren, the 
recognised signals being as follows 

One short blast indicates “ I am directing my course to star¬ 
board.” 

Two short blasts indicate “ I am directing my course to port.” 

Three short blasts indicate “ My engines are going full speed 
astern.” 

You should memorise these signals and then when you hear 
one of them you will know exactly what an approaching steamer 
is doing. 

In a previous chapter I told you what lights you must carry 
on your craft at night, but it is desirable that you should also 
know something of the lights carried by other vessels, so that 
you can readily ascertain the character of any craft you may 
happen to meet when you are under way after dark. Steamers 
and other vessels under power carry the same sidelights as a sailing 
craft when under way, but in addition they carry a white mast¬ 
head light, placed high upon the foremast and visible from right 
ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side. They may, 
if they like, carry a second masthead light abaft the other and 
at least fifteen feet higher. This second masthead light is optional, 


RULE OF THE ROAD 


113 


but as a matter of fact most large steamers carry it. The second 
light is of considerable assistance to approaching vessels, as it 
enables them more easily to determine the course of the steamer 
when at a distance. 

When towing another craft a steam vessel carries two white 
lights on her foremast, placed in a vertical line one above the other 
and not less than six feet apart. The vessel towed carries her 
sidelights only. A craft that is not under command must show 
two red lights on her foremast in a vertical line and not less than 
six feet apart, and the lights must be visible on a clear night 
all round the horizon for a distance of at least two miles. If the 
disabled vessel is a steamer she carries these red lights in lieu 
of her masthead light. Tugs and other vessels engaged in towing 
are allowed to carry a small white light abaft the funnel, or after¬ 
mast, as a guide to the craft they are towing, but such light 
must not be visible forward of the beam. 

A steamer engaged in laying or lifting a telegraph cable carries, 
in place of her masthead light, three lights in a vertical line, 
one over the other, and not less than six feet apart. Of these 
three lights the highest and lowest are red and the middle one 
white, and they must be visible all round the horizon for a distance 
of at least two miles on a clear night. By day, such vessels carry 
in place of the lights, three shapes of not less than two feet in 
diameter, of which the highest and lowest are globular in shape 
and red in colour, whilst the middle one is diamond in shape 
and white in colour. Vessels not under control and those engaged 
in cable work carry their sidelights only when making way 
through the water. The lights or shapes displayed by cable¬ 
laying craft and vessels not under control are to be taken as 
indications that the vessels displaying them cannot give way. 

Pilot boats on their stations and engaged on pilotage duty 
do not exhibit the usual lights, but display a white light at the 
masthead visible all round the horizon. They also exhibit a 
flare-up light at frequent intervals. Any vessel when overtaken 
by another must show from her stern to the overtaking vessel a 
white or flare-up light. This may be fixed and carried in a lantern, 
but in such cases the lantern must be so constructed as to show 
for six points on either side from right aft. The light must be 

J 


114 SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 

carried on the same level as the sidelights and he visible for at 
least a mile. 

Steam vessels of less than 40ft. in length, and craft under sails 
or oars of less than 20 tons gross measurement respectively, are 
not required by the regulations to carry the usual lights when 
under way, but should they not do so they must carry portable 
lights ready for display on approaching another vessel. Sailing 
boats of less than 20 tons may carry in place of the sidelights a 
lantern with a green light on the starboard side and a red light 
on the port side, so constructed that the red light shall not be 
visible on the starboard side nor the green light on the port side. 
This light must be shown in time to prevent collision. Rowing 
boats, whether under oars or sail, must have ready at hand a 
lantern showing a white light, which shall be temporarily exhibited 
in sufficient time to prevent collision. There are many other 
lights used at sea, of which full particulars will be found in a 
nautical almanac, but those I have referred to above are the 
most important. 

Although the regulations decree that all vessels shall carry a 
foghorn and bell for use in thick weather, I am afraid very few 
small yachts do so. When a foghorn is carried in such craft 
it is usually about as efficient as a toy trumpet off a Christmas 
tree. The regulation with regard to a bell seems to be ignored 
altogether. Although I have been on board some hundreds of 
small yachts I can only remember having seen a fog bell on two. 
The fact is the average yachtsman is an incorrigible optimist 
and declines even to think of being caught out in foggy weather. 
But still it does happen at times. I was once fog-bound on the 
Maplin Sands for four days, and as we were without food or water 
for thirty-six hours I have not forgotten the incident. It is true 
that a fog bell is not often wanted, as small yachts seldom bring 
up in a fairway where there is much traffic, but I think every 
craft should carry a foghorn that can be heard at a reasonable 
distance. Even in summer one is often under way in the early 
morning when heavy sea mists are of common occurrence. When 
under way a sailing vessel must sound her foghorn in thick 
weather, including snowstorms and heavy rain, at intervals of 
not more than a minute. One blast must be sounded when on the 


RULE OF THE ROAD 


115 


starboard tack, two when on the port tack, and three when the 
wind is abaft the beam. If you have a bell on board you should 
ring it rapidly for about five seconds at intervals of not more 
than one minute when you are anchored. In foggy weather 
steam vessels under way blow their sirens in long blasts at intervals 
of not more than two minutes. If under way with engines stopped 
such vessels sound at intervals of not more than two minutes 
two prolonged blasts with an interval of about a second between 
them. When at anchor a steam vessel rings her bell in a similar 
manner to a sailing craft. Sailing vessels and boats of less than 
20 tons gross tonnage are not obliged to give the above-mentioned 
signals, but should they not do so they must make some other 
efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than a minute. 


CHAPTER XVI 

THE DINGHY 

No matter how small your yacht may be some sort of dinghy is 
almost a necessity. Without one you are dependent upon others 
both when you want to board your vessel and when you desire 
to go ashore. If you could rely upon there always being someone 
about to ferry you to and fro, the absence of a dinghy would not 
matter very much, but more often than not no waterman is 
available when you want to go ashore and you may have to 
shout for a long time ere you can attract attention. There are 
times, moreover, when you need a dinghy to lay out a kedge, 
and I think, therefore, that it is no exaggeration to say that a 
dinghy is a necessity to every cruising yachtsman. 

The possession of a dinghy, however, is not always an unmixed 
blessing. Sometimes it is actually a source of danger, whilst 
at others it is an unmitigated nuisance. But, as I say, it is a 
thing you can't dispense with, so you must make the best of it 
and do what you can to eliminate the undesirable features. 

That a dinghy towing astern is a considerable drag on a small 
yacht there can be no question, but if the vessel is too small to 
accommodate the dinghy on deck, there is no alternative but to 
tow the boat. When beating to windward in ordinary weather, 
the dinghy is not likely to cause any trouble, but in a rough sea 
there is always a possibility of her being swamped, in which case 
you may have to cut her adrift. When running before a heavy 
following sea the dinghy can be an intolerable nuisance, and even 
a menace to the safety of the yacht. Under such conditions the 
boat has a way of charging down on to the yacht, threatening 
every moment to dash herself to pieces or else seriously to 

116 


THE DINGHY 


117 


damage the stern of the yacht. Another of her antics in such 
circumstances is to slew round broadside on and roll over. 
Should that happen in heavy weather, it is next door to im¬ 
possible to bale her out, and if she does not break her painter, 
you will probably cut her adrift sooner or later. 

Such unpleasant incidents, however, can usually be avoided 
by the exercise of a little care. Assuming that your dinghy is 
of good shape for towing, she should go through a lot of bad 
weather without risk either to herself or the yacht. A fair 
amount of beam and a flat floor are necessary in a boat if she is 
to tow steadily, and as such qualities also make for good carrying 
capacity, you should see that they are not absent in any dinghy 
you buy for use as a yacht’s tender. It is particularly desirable 
that the dinghy should cock her nose well out of the water when 
towing, and as a means to that end the painter should be made 
fast to the boat at a point near the waterline. It can be attached 
to a strong shackle, of which the pin passes right through the 
stem, or, what is perhaps better, to a ringbolt driven through 
the stem in a fore-and-aft direction and secured inside the boat 
with a nut. A weight placed in the stern of the dinghy will also 
assist matters, and in bad weather she should tow on two painters 
leading to the quarters of the yacht. 

In heavy weather, tow your dinghy on very short painters, 
so that she is but a few feet astern of the yacht. You will find 
that if you follow these suggestions your boat will tow quietly 
and cause no trouble. Even if she charges forward on the 
scend of a big sea when you are running, she is not likely to do 
much harm, as the painters being short she will not have sufficient 
drift to obtain much impetus. Most of the water she ships will 
run out over her stern and she will not at any time have sufficient 
in her to render her water-logged. The sculls should either be 
removed from the boat or else lashed to a thwart, so that they 
cannot get adrift, and the rowlocks should be secured with 
lanyards. 

It is when brought up that the dinghy is most trying to the 
temper. She will ride quietly so long as the wind and tide are 
in the same direction, but when the wind blows against the tide 
it is most difficult to keep her from bumping into the yacht. 


118 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Drawing but a few inches of water, she does not feel the influence 
of the tide to the same extent as the yacht, and although the 
latter may be riding steadily to the tide, the dinghy is frequently 
blown up to the yacht and bumps into her. To have to turn 
out in your pyjamas on a cold night every few minutes to push 
off the dinghy is intolerable, and yachtsmen resort to all sorts 
of expedients with a view to abating the nuisance. 

The most common practice to which yachtsmen resort in their 
efforts to keep their dinghies riding steadily astern, when the 
wind blows against the tide, is to tie a bucket to the stern of the 
boat. This increases her resistance to the tide and helps to 
keep her from riding over it. So long as the tide runs hard this 
scheme is fairly effective, but when it begins to slacken the 
bucket no longer holds the dinghy back and the bumping nuisance 
recommences. A much more successful preventative is a bass 
warp. Bend on a bass warp to the painter and allow the dinghy 
to drop astern to the full length of the w r arp. This will offer far 
more resistance to the tide than a bucket, for, floating on, or near 
the surface of the water, it forms a big festoon when the boat 
tries to drive up, and so long as there is any strength in the tide 
it will keep the boat clear. Of course at slack water it will be 
no more effective in holding the dinghy back than a bucket, 
but owing to its length it will permit her to blow clear of the 
vessel. If you adopt the warp method, however, it is advisable 
to see that the warp is not long enough to allow your dinghy to 
foul another vessel brought up astern of you, or you will get 
yourself disliked. It is bad enough to be bumped by your own 
dinghy, but to be bumped by somebody else’s would make a 
saint say more than his prayers. 

On big yacht3 it is the custom to make the dinghy fast to the 
bowsprit-end at night, but the bowsprit of a small modern yacht 
is usually too short to keep the boat clear of her bow. I have 
occasionally, however, rigged out my spinnaker boom as a tem¬ 
porary boat boom and found it answer the purpose admirably. 
The boom should be lowered over the side and guyed fore-and-aft. 
The dinghy can then be hauled out to the end of the spar, which 
should be topped up a little to prevent it striking the dinghy 
should the yacht roll much during the night. The only objection 


THE DINGHY 


119 


to this method is the risk of some passing vessel fouling the 
dinghy in the dark, although of course no craft under weigh at 
night should pass so close to another as that. 

In my little canoe-yacht Snipe I got over the dinghy difficulty 
by carrying a small Berthon folding boat. I kept an old wooden 
dinghy for ferrying purposes, leaving it on my mooring when I 
got under way. The Berthon, which measured but seven feet 
in length, I carried folded up in the cabin whilst under way and 
on the side deck at night. It was an excellent arrangement, 
and all I can say against the Berthon dinghy is that it is a bit 
awkward for anchor work. They are “ floaty ” little boats, 
however, and on one occasion in Felixstowe dock three of us 
went ashore in my little 7-ft. dinghy, and we averaged about 
twelve stones in weight. It is true that we had not much more 
than an inch of freeboard, but fortunately nobody sneezed and 
so we made the journey in safety. These Berthon boats are made 
in all sizes and are very easy to fold up and unfold. They will 
last for years with reasonable care, but they should not be 
hauled about over shingle or stones. They should be painted 
occasionally with the special paint supplied by the makers, 
which is flexible and does not crack. Being double skinned, 
the boats are a little awkward to patch should they be holed, 
but I believe bootmakers have implements that will do the job. 


CHAPTER XVII 

ROLLER HEADSAILS 


That roller headsails are a great boon in small yachts, par¬ 
ticularly those which are sailed single-handed, there can be no 
question, as a sail of that kind can be set or furled in a moment 
by merely hauling on a line. When getting under way and 
bringing up it is most annoying to have a headsail violently 
slatting in the wind close to your head, and a blow in the face 
from the sheet shackle is, to say the least, most disconcerting. 
I dare say you noticed that when giving you hints on getting 
under way in Chapter IV under various conditions, I in almost 
every case advised you to set your headsails in stops, the main 
object being to ensure a clear foredeck upon which to work. 
It is the most seamanlike method of procedure, but if your craft 
is fitted with a roller headsail you will not have to go to the 
trouble of making up the sail in stops as the rolling contrivance 
serves the same purpose. 

There are two forms of roller headsail in vogue : one having 
the luff of the sail secured to a wooden roller, and the other, 
invented by Mr. R. F. Wykeham-Martin, consisting of tw'o 
small fittings which are attached to the head and tack of the sail. 
The blind-roller type was invented many years ago by Captain 
E. du Boulay, and is extensively used in small yachts. It is 
extremely simple in principle, and, if properly fitted, quite 
efficient. The roller, which is hollow, revolves round a wire stay, 
being operated by means of a line wound round a drum at the 
foot. The roller is passed through a pocket in the luff of the sail, 
which is then secured by being tacked to the former. An eye is 
spliced in each end of the wire stay, of which the lower end is 


ROLLER HEADSAILS 


121 


secured to the stem-head or bowsprit-end, as the case may be, 
whilst the head is set up with the halyard. Sufficient turns of 
the rolling line are taken on the drum to ensure the sail being 
completely rolled up when hauling on the line. When the sail 
is furled the drum has no line on it, but as the sail is set the 
rolling line is automatically wound round the drum ready for 
use when it is desired to furl the sail. To set the sail you merely 
let go the rolling line and haul on one of the sheets, whilst to 
stow it the operation is reversed. 

The roller can also be employed for reefing the sail, for you 
can roll up as much or as little of it as you wish and then make 
fast the rolling line. It will be gathered that this rolling arrange¬ 
ment is extremely convenient in a short-handed boat, as it 
obviates the necessity for shifting headsails when the mainsail 
is reefed. A headsail of this type, moreover, can also be used as 
a spinnaker when running before the wind by the addition of a 
light spar. When it is proposed to use a roller headsail as a 
double-purpose sail, the foot, instead of being set up to the 
bowsprit-end or stemhead, is attached to the end of a short 
boom, fitted to the fore side of the mast by means of a goose¬ 
neck. On the other end of this little spar is a tack line which 
is rove through a bull’s-eye stropped to the bowsprit-end or 
stemhead. Guys are led aft from the tack end so that the 
spar can be pulled round as the tack line is slackened. As the 
tack of the roller headsail is secured to the end of this little 
spinnaker boom, the whole sail can be pulled round by means of 
one of the guys if the tack line be eased up. If, when you are 
running, you wish to come to the wind, you merely let go the guy 
and haul down the tack, and in a moment your headsail is set 
for beating to windward. Of course a spinnaker of this nature 
is not very large, but it has quite sufficient area materially to 
assist the vessel through the water. 

Unfortunately Captain du Boulay did not patent his invention, 
and in consequence anyone is at liberty to make the rolling gear. 
Almost any shipwright will supply it to order, but they do not 
always fit it properly. So long as the roller will revolve they 
are content, but in the absence of the proper fittings devised by 
the inventor, a roller headsail is almost sure to give trouble. 


122 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


There are two main sources of trouble in connection with roller 
headsails improperly fitted. One is the fouling of the roller line 
and the other the wearing of the foot of the wire stay owing to 
the friction of the roller. If one or two turns of the rolling line 
happen to slip over the flange on the drum the line will jam 
and prevent the roller operating. When this happens you 
cannot either furl or set the sail until the line has been cleared, 
which is not by any means an easy job when the foot of the sail 
is set up to the bowsprit-end. To eliminate this fault Captain 
du Boulay devised a special fitment, which takes the form of a 



Fig. 11. 



tm 


Fig. 12. 


guard and fairlead fitted at the foot of the stay (see Fig. 11), 
whilst to prevent chafe at the foot of the stay a short piece of 
brass tube with a bell mouth is driven down over the splice to 
form a bearing for the roller (Fig. 12). If you are having a 
roller headsail made see that these special fitments are not 
omitted, as they are extremely important. In the absence of 
the brass bearing at the foot of the stay the tinning will soon be 
worn off and then the wire will rust, which in course of time will 
lead to its breaking. Should the stay carry away you will be 
unable to set the sail. When a roller headsail is used in a cruising 
yacht it is prudent therefore to carry a spare sail of the ordinary 
type, which can be set in the event of the stay carrying away. 


















ROLLER HEADSAILS 


123 



Although I freely admit the advantages of roller headsails of 
the du Boulay type, I must confess that I personally do not 
care very much for them. To my mind such a sail is unsightly 


Fig. 13. 

and when reefed is not a very good shape. It must of necessity 
be something of a compromise if it is to be reefed, for if cut as 
high in the foot as an ordinary headsail, it would be inefficient 


































124 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


in its reefed state. It is customary therefore to cut a roller 
headsail very low in the foot, which enhances the risk of a sea 
being shipped in it in rough weather. The roller also makes for 
increased weight and windage aloft, which is undesirable. As 
the sail is never taken down but merely furled on the roller, the 
outside cloths get very dirty, so that when the sail is set it has the 
appearance of having a mourning band round it, which detracts 
from the general smartness of the yacht. Moreover, the tightly 
furled sail is apt to generate mildew and rot, and its life is much 
shorter than one that can be stowed away in the sail locker. 

The Wykeham-Martin furling gear has none of the objections 
to which I have drawn attention, as the sail can be stowed away 
below in the usual manner and it has no roller. The fittings 
can also be transferred from one sail to another, which is a great 
convenience. When Mr. Wykeham-Martin invented the gear 
some twenty years ago, he gave me one of the first sets made to 
try, and I have used it in all of the craft I have since owned. 
I have never known it to fail in operation, and for anyone who 
sails single-handed it is one of the greatest boons ever devised. 

The gear consists of two neat fitments (Fig. 13) which run on 
ball bearings so easily that the sail will furl round its own luff 
rope. The fittings are merely shackled to the head and tack 
of the sail respectively, that at the tack having a drum for the 
rolling line. This drum is fitted with a fairlead for the line, 
which is so placed as to render it practically impossible for the 
line to slip over the flange and foul. The gear can be fitted to 
any three-cornered sail and, being packed with grease, the fittings 
only require attention at long intervals. If they are periodically 
re-packed, say once a year, with some suitable lubricant, such as 
Price’s Belmoline, they will never give any trouble, and per¬ 
sonally I regard the Wykeham-Martin gear as one of the most 
useful yachting accessories that has been invented for many 
vears. 

V 


CHAPTER XVIII 

DINGHY SAILING 

Almost every yachtsman has the impression that he can sail a 
dinghy, but unless he has had some little experience of open boat 
sailing it is extremely unlikely that he can handle a dinghy 
efficiently. If you asked the owner of a cruising yacht the ques¬ 
tion you would probably get some such reply as : “ Well, if I 
can handle a ten-tonner I should think I could sail a little 
dinghy,” and he will look at you as if you had asked him a 
somewhat impertinent question. But the two things are as 
different as chalk is to cheese. You control a yacht with the 
tiller, but the dinghy you control for the most part with the sheet. 
On many occasions I have seen men who have achieved fame 
as helmsmen of racing yachts attempt to race dinghies and they 
almost without exception made a very poor show at the game. 
Once I had to go to the assistance of a yachtsman who came to 
grief whilst racing an open boat. As it will serve to illustrate 
the difference that exists between yacht and dinghy sailing, I 
will tell you about it. 

Some years ago we had a class of open 17-footers at Fam- 
bridge, and some at least of the boats were very tricky craft to 
handle. On the occasion of which I write, our race was round the 
up-river course, and there was a strong squally easterly wind 
blowing. In the absence of the owner, one of the boats was sailed 
by a yachtsman who was also a doctor, and he took with him as 
crew a patient who had just recovered from a severe attack of 
pneumonia. The patient, moreover, was a partial cripple who had 
to wear a metal contrivance on his leg. However, they were 
both very keen on racing, and duly got the boat under way. 

125 


126 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


We were sent away to an excellent start and ran in fairly close 
company up the reach, my boat gradually working out a useful 
lead. 1 was congratulating myself upon having got fairly 
away from my opponents when the incident occurred that led 
to the abandonment of the race. 

At the top of Fambridge Reach the Crouch trends to the 
southward, which necessitated a gybe, and as luck would have it 
a fierce squall overtook us just as the moment for gybing arrived. 
I gathered in two or three feet of mainsheet and then as the 
boom began to come over I let it go with a run, gybing practically 
all standing. The sail came over with great force but the 
boom-end hitting the water as I anticipated, all was well. Then 
I glanced back to see how the others fared. The next boat to 
me was the one sailed by the doctor. As he proceeded to gybe 
I saw at once he was asking for trouble, as he handled her as if 
she were a heavily-ballasted yacht. He hauled in his mainsheet 
and then checked it as it came over. Over went the boat and the 
next moment he and his companion were struggling in the water. 

There was nothing for it but to give up the race and go to 
their assistance. After a good deal of difficulty we managed 
to get the doctor and his crippled companion into our boat and 
started to beat back home, leaving the other competitors in the 
race to salve the swamped boat. As we had to turn over a strong 
flood tide we were the best part of an hour getting back to the 
anchorage. What with the biting east wind and being wet to 
the skin, our passengers were in a miserable state, particularly 
the invalid, whose teeth were visibly chattering. One would have 
thought that this misadventure, coming on top of his recent 
pneumonia, would have killed him ; but fortunately he suffered 
no ill effects at all. As soon as we got ashore and in the Club¬ 
house, they stripped, and after a brisk rub down, got into bed. 
The doctor prescribed neat whisky for his patient and himself— 
which will give you some indication of his nationality. They had 
it—-the best part of a bottle between them—and were soon as 
lively as the proverbial cricket. Anyhow, the prescription 
proved effective, for, as I say, no ill effects ensued. 

This little story will, I think, show you that what you can do 
in a yacht you can’t always do in an open boat and vice versa. 


DINGHY SAILING 


127 


If when gybing an open boat in a heavy squall, you check the 
boom as it comes over you are going to have a bath, and yet it 
is the proper thing to do when gybing a yacht under similar 
conditions. 

If when beating to windward in a yacht you are struck b}^ a 
heavy squall, you relieve the boat by luffing, but that would be 
a fatal policy to pursue in a dinghy. In similar circumstances 
you would ease the dinghy by slightly slackening your sheet, 
so as to spill some of the wind out of the sail, for it is absolutely 
essential that you keep her travelling. To lose way in a dinghy 
is fatal, and if you luffed her as you would a yacht, she would 
stop almost dead and get out of hand. Before you knew where 
you were, she would be broadside on to wind and sea and would 
in all probability capsize. 

But where the yachtsman who tries to sail a dinghy usually 
fails most is in not realising the importance of a correct disposi¬ 
tion of the weight of himself and crew, if he has one. It is not 
merely a question of “ sitting up ” the boat to increase her 
stability but also the disposition of the weight in a fore-and-aft 
direction. The weight of the crew must be differently disposed 
on almost every point of sailing, for correct ballasting is of the 
greatest importance if the best is to be got out of the boat. It 
must be remembered that the majority of dinghies and open 
boats carry no ballast but the weight of the centre-plate and the 
crew, and the centre-plate is usually comparatively light. It 
is astonishing what a lot of sail a dinghy will carry in a strong 
wind when handled by an expert, but there is no disguising the 
fact that it is in such circumstances apt to be a very wet business. 
Nevertheless, dinghy racing is grand sport and I know of nothing 
more thrilling. 

Apart from racing, a sailing dinghy is a jolly thing to have, 
as with it you can get any amount of fun exploring creeks and 
sailing about the anchorage after you have brought up at the end 
of your day’s cruise. It will, moreover, save you a lot of hard 
rowing at times, and most yachtsmen loathe pulling a dinghy. 

A. sailing dinghy that is to be used as tender to a small yacht 
of five tons or less must of necessity be small or otherwise it 
would retard the yacht when it was towed ; but a dinghy of no 


128 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


more than 9-ft. in length will sail quite well and afford no end of 
fun. I have sometimes heard it stated that no dinghy of less 
than 12-ft. is of any use for sailing, but that is nonsense. Rather 
more than twenty years ago I established a one-design class of 
9-ft. dinghies at Fambridge, and we got no end of sport out of 
the little boats, which also served as yacht tenders, and they 
cost less than £11 apiece. We raced the boats single-handed, 
as they were rather small for two, but when sailing betweeD 
yacht and shore they often carried as many as three people. 
Of course a larger dinghy will sail much better if your yacht is 
able to tow it, but don’t be deterred from getting a sailing 
dinghy by people telling you that a boat of nine or ten feet will 
not sail. 

The best form of sail for a small dinghy is a Clyde lug, of 
which the whole of the area is abaft the mast. The only gear 
required consists of halyard, tack and sheet. The halyard 
should be of flexible wire, which will not stretch like manilla 
rope, and a pair of light jaws at the foot of the yard will assist 
to keep the sail set nicely. These jaws require no parrel as the 
pressure of the sail will keep them on the mast. In a small 
dinghy it is best to have all the sail area in the lug, but in boats 
of 14-ft. and longer a small foresail is often carried. The foresail 
of an open boat needs very careful handling in a heavy squall, 
for it will pin the boat down by the head if the sheet be not 
eased. The mainsheet, of course, should never on any account 
be belayed but always held in the hand. To relieve the strain, 
which is apt to be rather tiring, the sheet can be passed under a 
cleat. On a squally day, the foresail sheet should also be held in 
the hand by the crew. If you are single-handed you had better 
not set a foresail if the weather looks at all threatening. 

In a two-man racing dinghy the mainsheet should be so 
arranged that the fall leads through a block on the boom in 
front of the helmsman. The most convenient lead is from the 
block on the boom down through a swivelled block on the keel 
of the boat and then up to the helmsman’s hand. If the sheet 
leads in this manner the helmsman will be able to get a good pull 
on it with one hand. It must be remembered that he has only 
one hand available, unless he leaves go of the tiller, which he 


DINGHY SAILING 


129 


should never do. The fastest rig for a racing dinghy over 14-ft. 
would be a Bermudian mainsail and foresail, and both sails should 
be fitted with roller reefing gear. A roller boom may make 
all the difference between winning and losing a race, for by its 
aid a reef can be pulled down or shaken out without bringing 
the boat to the wind. You can usually carry far more sail 
when running than when beating to windward, and if you have a 
roller boom you can carry your whole mainsail on the run and 
reef down just before reaching the leeward mark, and vice versa. 

Open boats are better unballasted, as in the event of a capsize 
the ballasted boat will sink like a stone. If your boat has a 
heavy centre-plate and there is any doubt as to her floating 
when full of water, carry buoyancy tanks. These usually take 
the form of air-tight copper cylinders strapped under the thwarts, 
but if you do not care to go to the expense of these special tanks 
three or four petrol tins will serve the purpose just as well. You 
can buy them at any garage for three shillings each, and when 
you have done with them you can get your money back. An 
unballasted dinghy depends solely upon the weight of the crew 
for her stability, and in strong winds the crew must “ sit her up.” 
In other words, both helmsman and forward hand must hang 
out of the boat to windward from their knees upwards. When 
doing this tuck one foot under a thwart or otherwise you may fall 
overboard to windward. Beating to windward in a fresh breeze 
and rough water the dinghy is almost bound to ship a fair amount 
of water. Frequent bailing is therefore necessary. Now, it is 
obvious that when you are hanging out to windward you cannot 
bail water from the lee bilge with an ordinary bailer and must 
resort to other means. The best implement is a saucepan 
lashed to a mop handle. The saucepan should not be too large 
or otherwise it would be too heavy to lift conveniently. To 
enable the helmsman to hang out to windward the tiller should 
be fitted with a yoke, that is an extension of the tiller in the form 
of a stick hinged to the tiller on a bolt so that it can be moved 
freely in either direction. Some small racing boats are fitted 
with “ merrythought ” tillers. This is a sort of double tiller in 
the form of the merrythought of a chicken. Such a tiller takes 
up too much room in the boat, however, and is not so convenient 


K 


130 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


as the ordinary type fitted with a yoke. Even in a little dinghy 
used as a yacht’s tender and not intended for racing purposes, 
the tiller should have a yoke, as it is necessary for the helmsman 
to sit in, or near, the middle of the boat when sailing her. In 
a dinghy of, say, nine or ten feet long, if the helmsman sat on 
the after thwart, his weight would cock the boat’s bow right 
out of the water, and no dinghy could sail decently in such 
trim. 

When buying a sailing dinghy, see that the centre-plate is 
lifted by means of a metal rod and not by a lanyard or wire 
rope. Very often small stones get jammed between the plate 
and the case, and some force is required to clear the plate. If 
the hoist consists of an iron rod with a handle at the top it is 
usually quite easy to force the plate down, but if you merely 
have a wire lanyard you may experience a good deal of trouble. 


CHAPTER XIX 

RACING 

At some time or other you will probably be seized with the 
desire to go in for match sailing and will then have to decide 
upon the kind of racing you will take up. Of course, there is 
no reason why you should not race your cruising yacht, as most 
clubs give races for such craft under handicap conditions. I 
venture to think, however, that you would soon lose interest in 
it, as very little satisfaction is to be derived from competing in 
a match in which the various craft are of widely divergent type 
and tonnage. As a rule in these club handicaps the only attempt 
at classification is a bald statement on the programme that the 
race is for yachts not exceeding so many tons, with the result that 
the vessels engaged often comprise outclassed raters, modern 
cruisers and old-fashioned yachts with straight stems. To 
bring such a heterogeneous collection together on terms of 
equality is beyond the wit of man, and the result of the match 
is in the lap of the gods. 

In circumstances such as these everything depends upon the 
wind and tide. With a fresh “ soldier’s wind ” the superiority 
of the ex-racer may not be very marked, but when it comes to 
a beat to windward over a foul tide, the modern boat will leave 
the old-fashioned straight-stemmer out of sight. An attempt 
to get over this difficulty is sometimes made by framing two 
handicaps, one for a reaching wind and another for a run and a 
beat, the selected handicap being announced just before the 
start. As often as not, however, the wind will change whilst 
the race is in progress, and conditions which at the start gave a 
reaching wind become more in the nature of a run and a beat. 
When this happens the handicapper is more at sea than ever. 

131 


132 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


If keen racing is to be enjoyed it is essential that the boats 
engaged should keep close company, but in most club handicaps 
the yachts become widely separated, and the match then de¬ 
generates into a race against the clock rather than against other 
yachts. It is by no means an uncommon experience in such 
racing for a competitor to come in long after the leaders have 
brought up and stowed away and find that she has won first prize 
on time. But little satisfaction can be got from such a victory, 
which can only be regarded as an indication that the handicapper 
has blundered. 

The fact is, the principle upon which club handicaps are 
framed is all wrong. I am sure it is a mistake to allot time 
allowance on distance; time should be allotted on time. In 
such racing a slow-sailed match always favours the scratch 
boats whilst a quick-sailed race is usually won by one of the 
vessels near the tail end of the handicap. If, therefore, the time 
allowance took the form of so many seconds, or minutes, per 
hour of the elapsed time of the first yacht home, very much 
better results would be secured than by allotting so many 
seconds, or minutes, per mile, as is the common custom. This 
is no mere theory, for the system has been tried with considerable 
success, and it amazes me that more clubs do not adopt it for 
classes comprising vessels of different calibre. 

If you wish to race, I should strongly advise you to join a 
one-design class, or, if you can afford it, one of the Y.R.A. classes. 
In a one design class all the boats are built to the same design 
and from similar materials, being in fact as like one another as 
it is possible to make them. In such circumstances the initial 
cost of building is not only much lower than would be the case 
if the boats were built separately from different designs, but the 
cost of upkeep is much less. In most one-design classes no altera¬ 
tions from the standard design are permitted, and new sails 
are only allowed at certain stated periods. There is thus no 
competition among the owners in the way of construction or 
design, and the racing is a test of seamanship and judgment 
and nothing more. As the boats are all of practically the same 
speed, they can be relied upon to keep close company throughout 
the race, which is consequently one long thrill of excitement 


RACING 


133 


from, start to finish. In racing such as this the winning of a 
prize is a true indication of skill and not merely a matter of luck, 
as it usually is in club handicap racing. During the past thirty 
years one-design classes have sprung into existence all round 
the coast, and you will have no difficulty in finding one to suit 
your pocket. 

If you are interested in the science of yacht designing, and 
expense is no object, your proper place is in one of the inter¬ 
national classes of the Yacht Racing Association. The boats 
of these classes are built to a formula, the designer being asked to 
turn out the fastest vessel he can on a given rating. Such 
racing is extremely costly, as an element of competition enters 
into everything connected with it. In the first place there is the 
lottery of the design. If the boat turns out a failure you have lost 
the best part of the capital you have sunk in her construction. 
Her sole raison d’etre is to win prizes in her class, and if she 
cannot do so nobody is likely to want her. Consequently should 
you have to sell an unsuccessful craft you will get a very poor 
price for her. Should she prove only moderately successful 
you will in all probability attempt to improve her by structural 
alteration, and a pretty penny it is likely to cost you. Even 
supposing the yacht proves to be one of the fastest of the fleet 
you never know when she will be outclassed by some new craft. 

In the matter of upkeep the competition is equally keen. 
If one boat adopts some new fitment that improves her sailing, 
all the others in self-protection must follow suit. Take the 
fashionable Bermudian rig, for instance. One or two small raters 
appeared under the rig some years ago and proved it to be faster 
than any other. What was the result ? In a short time practi¬ 
cally every small rater in the Kingdom was sporting the Bermudian 
rig, for the owners knew very well that if they did not have it 
they might as well give up racing altogether. Class racing is 
a game at which the man with the longest purse is pretty sure 
to win, for he is in a position to add to his vessel every refinement 
that human ingenuity can suggest. He can have new sails 
whenever he thinks fit, alter his boat as he pleases, and by paying 
extravagant racing money secure the smartest paid hands. In 
the circumstances it is not perhaps surprising that class racing 


134 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


should be practically confined to a few wealthy men. Some 
yachtsmen, however, derive as much interest and enjoyment 
from tinkering about with their yachts with a view to enhanced 
speed as they do from the actual racing. If you are one of those 
and have the money to spare, you cannot do better than race in 
one of the Y.R.A. classes. But, so far as the quality of the sport 
is concerned, it is no better, if as good, as that to be obtained in a 
one-design class at a tenth of the cost. 

All races nowadays are sailed under the sailing rules of the 
Yacht Racing Association, which you should learn before you 
take up racing. To give an exposition of these rules would be 
outside the scope of this book ; moreover, I have already done 
so in “ Yacht Racing for Amateurs.” In the following chapter I 
will, however, endeavour to give you a few hints on racing 
tactics. 


CHAPTER XX 

RACING TACTICS 

Befoke competing in a race you should devote a little time to 
preparing your vessel for the event. No boat can be expected to 
show her best form if she is foul, and, mind you, there are degrees 
of foulness. Because the yacht’s bottom seems to be free from 
nuns, don’t jump to the conclusion that she does not need 
scrubbing. If you lay her ashore you will probably find that 
the bottom is coated with a thin skim of slime and there may 
be quite a thick deposit of tiny nuns on the garboards of which 
you had no suspicion. If the boat is to do her best, the bottom 
must be absolutely clean and smooth, and it will pay you to 
scrub her the day before the race. If you desire a superfine 
surface, rub the bottom down with steel shavings and then 
apply a coat of blacklead which, when dry, can be polished 
with a stove brush. 

Attention should also be given to the rigging and sails. Don’t 
set up the shroud lanyards, or rigging screws, so taut that the 
shrouds are like bars of iron, for nothing takes the life out of a 
boat like rigging that is too taut. The shrouds should be slack 
enough to allow the mast to bend slightly ere any great strain 
is thrown on the rigging. Overhaul the halyards and sheets 
to see that they are perfectly sound and replace anything of 
which you have the slightest suspicion. See that your mainsail 
is thoroughly stretched out on the spars and tighten up the 
lacings if necessary. If your mainsail is a gunter, pay particular 
attention to the wire span on the yard. One end of this should 
be secured to the yard by means of a lacing, so that any slack 
can be taken up. If the span be too slack you may not be able 
to peak the sail sufficiently to set it properly. 

135 


136 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Get your sailing instructions as soon as you can and study 
them carefully so that you have the course and all the marks 
impressed on your mind. Take particular note of the time of 
the start and also of the flag which is to indicate your particular 
match, for if there are several events on the programme more 
than one flag may be exhibited at the s*:me time. 

On the morning of the race get your vessel under way in good 
time, say a full half hour before you are due to start. Don’t, 
however, hang about on the starting line so as to impede the 
manoeuvring of yachts engaged in other races. If you are under 
way in good time you will be able to get your sails nicely set, 
and should you find that you have set too much or too little 
canvas you will be able to rectify the error. About a quarter 
of an hour before your race is timed to start, get down near the 
Clubhouse, or Committee vessel, and look out for your pre¬ 
paratory signal, which will be the hoisting of the flag indicating 
your race. This signal will be made exactly ten minutes before 
the starting gun, and you should have your stop watch ready 
so that you can set it by the signal. You wifi not be under the 
starter’s orders and amenable to Y.R.A. rules until the first gun 
is fired, that is to say, five minutes before the second or starting 
gun; but as soon as the first gun has been fired any breach of 
the rules may lead to disqualification. 

Watch carefully for the first gun, the firing of which is accom¬ 
panied simultaneously with the hoisting of the Blue Peter. 
Now, don’t wait for the report of the gun because sound takes 
an appreciable time to travel. Watch for the smoke, or if you 
are in such a position that you may not be able to see the smoke 
of the gun, look for the breaking out of the flag. In the event 
of the gun misfiring, the hoisting or lowering of the Blue Peter, 
as the case may be, is the signal. When you see the puff of smoke 
start your stop watch. If there are several persons on board 
it is customary for one of the crew to act as timekeeper, but 
personally I prefer to keep the time myself. If you decide to 
act as your own timekeeper, you should carry your stop watch 
in a wristlet. The stop watch should be a reliable one, recording 
the minutes as they elapse in addition to the seconds. 

You have five minutes before the second or starting gun in 


RACING TACTICS 


137 


which to manoeuvre for position, and those five minutes are 
often the most exciting of the whole race. The objective of 
all engaged is a double one. In the first place each competitor 
wants to cross the starting line as soon as possible after the 
second gun and also in the best position, which is usually to 
windward of all his opponents. Each helmsman, therefore, 
commences a series of evolutions which he hopes will land his 
craft in the desired position at exactly the right moment. But 
everyone is amenable to the rules, and having to give way to 
another craft may completely upset calculations. Should this 
happen, you have immediately to evolve another scheme and put 
it into practice. You will readily understand therefore that the 
five minutes between the guns make considerable demands 
upon one’s judgment. 

To be over the starting line too soon is fatal, as by the rules 
you have to return and re-cross the line properly. As you 
have to give way to every other vessel that has made a proper 
start you may be carried quite a long way before you can get 
room to turn and come back. The fear of being over the line 
before the second gun often makes a novice nervous and he is 
apt to keep a long way above the line to prevent any risk of his 
craft being carried over by the tide. That, however, is a mis¬ 
taken policy, for should the wind drop it might not be possible 
to get to the line until some time after gunfire. It is far better 
for the novice to take his courage in both hands and keep close 
to the line so that he is in a position to cross it without loss of 
time. It is probable that he will occasionally be over too soon, 
but it is the only way to learn how to make good starts. 

To be first over the line in the weather berth is a fine thing, 
but it will avail you little if you have not good way on your boat. 
If you are doing little more than drift as you cross, the others 
will come roaring through your lee and be out on your weather 
in the twinkling of an eye. What you should strive for is to cross 
almost with the flash of the gun and with a full head of speed. 
If you accomplish that feat you will have a commanding position 
which, with reasonable luck and skill, you should retain at any 
rate to the first mark. If you find you are approaching the line 
too fast, you can lull or bear away a little so as to check your 


138 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


way a trifle. If you are running for the line you can check the 
boat’s speed by hauling in your mainsheet. 

If you make a good start—and I hope you will make many— 
keep an eye on the Clubhouse, or Committee vessel, after you 
have crossed the line to see if your recall number is hoisted. 
When it is a matter of a second or so, you can never be quite sure 
whether your bowsprit-end showed on the line at gunfire or not, 
and you should therefore keep a good lookout for your recall 
number so that you may re-cross without waste of time in case 
of need. 

In a one-design class, or for that matter any class in which the 
boats are well matched in point of speed, the advantage of being 
across the starting line first and in the weather berth cannot be 
over-estimated. For another yacht to pass you is very difficult, 
as, if she attempts to get through your lee, your sails will blanket 
her and if she tries to pass you to windward you are permitted 
by the rules to luff her. Moreover, when you are on her weather 
bow she will be retarded by your quarter wash. If you are 
beating to windward and have a dangerous rival nicely tucked 
away under your lee, do your best to keep her there. When she 
tacks, do likewise, for if you allow her to break tacks with you 
and go off on her own, she may pick up a better wind or find a 
more favourable tide. Should that happen you may find when 
you meet again that the positions are reversed and that she has 
secured the coveted weather berth. By keeping close company 
with her and always going about when she does, you eliminate the 
possibility of her getting a lucky slant that does not reach your 
vessel. 

Now, suppose that you are beating up a river and you, on the 
starboard tack, meet a rival on the port tack and there is a risk 
of collision. Your opponent has of course to give way to you 
and therefore goes about. If the boats are of much the same 
speed you will find that it will usually pay you in such circum¬ 
stances to go about also. As soon as she puts her helm down, 
do likewise and leave her. If, after putting her about, you held 
your course, you would both be sailing on the same tack, and 
although you would be to windward of her, she would be leading. 
When she neared the shore she would be in a position to call 


RACING TACTICS 


139 


for water and you would have to go about, which would place her 
to windward of you. When a boat calls for water on nearing an 
obstruction the other vessel has to give her room, but the craft 
that calls for water must put her helm down immediately she 
hails. By breaking tacks with your rival it is possible that when 
you next meet you may pass clear ahead of her. Should you 
be able to do so, go about on her weather and give her your wash. 

With regard to luffing, although you are permitted by the rules 
to luff as you please to prevent another yacht passing you to 
windward, it does not always pay you to embark upon a long 
luffing match with the overtaking boat. By so doing you may 
let another rival get clean away. It is a matter that calls for 
nice judgment and you must be governed by circumstances as 
to whether you engage in a luffing match or not. If the over¬ 
taking vessel is the only one in the race you really fear, you will 
probably luff her, but if there are others in the race equally 
dangerous it might be wiser to let her through. An overtaking 
yacht is entitled to a clear passage to leeward and you must 
not bear down on her to prevent her passing. 

I told you just now that when cross tacking and you put a rival 
about, you should go about yourself at once, but if you do so, 
don’t forget Clause (i) of Rule 30, by which you are prohibited 
from tacking in such a manner as to involve risk of collision 
with the other yacht before she has filled on her new tack. 
You must not go about right under her bows so that she cannot 
keep out of your way. Having secured the weather berth see 
that you are not bluffed out of it. The yacht you have put 
about may subsequently try to bluff you with a false tack. 
The helmsman will shout “lee ho ” and put his helm down. 
Then he will fill on her again on the same tack in the hope that 
you will be deceived by his tactics and go about. It is, however, 
only a very inexperienced helmsman who would be bluffed in 
that manner. 

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having a 
rival on your weather bow, the best thing you can do is to make 
very short tacks. Should your boat happen to be a bit quicker 
in stays than the other you may thus in time extricate yourself 
from your undesirable position. It is possible, too, that the 


140 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


helmsman of the other boat may get tired of going about so 
frequently and break tacks with you. As I write, I have before 
me a very nice silver cup which I won in that manner. There 
were only two of us in it at the leeward mark, as we had run 
right away from the others. My rival, having an overlap at the 
mark, I had to give him room, with the result that he secured 
the weather berth for the beat home over a foul tide. So I 
started to make very short boards of only a few yards long. 
He stuck to me for perhaps thirty boards, and then getting 
“ fed up ” with it, broke tacks and went off on a comparatively 
long board. In the meantime I continued my policy, and being in 
slacker water managed to gain on him just enough to put him 
about when we next met. Having got him under my lee I 
kept him there all the way home, eventually crossing the line 
five seconds ahead. I look back on that race as one of the best 
I ever sailed, but all the same I should not have won. My 
opponent held a winning position at the leeward mark and threw 
the race away by his impatience. 

If you are running in a race and there is another yacht ahead 
of you, you should run dead in her wake, as by so doing you will 
take her wind. Should you be very close astern of her you will 
also derive some benefit from the moving water she has displaced. 
Although you may be able to hang on to the leader in this manner 
it is often very difficult to pass her. If the wind is dead aft— 
as a matter of fact it very seldom is—you may be able to run 
past her to leeward, that is to say, on the side she is carrying 
her boom ; but if the breeze is on the quarter she will blanket 
you before you are through her lee. Should the weather shore 
not be very far off your best chance of passing her will be by 
threatening her weather with the idea of inducing a luffing 

match. In the excitement of the moment her helmsman mav 

•* 

forget all about the weather shore and continue to luff until 
you reach shoal water. Then, if you have established an over¬ 
lap, as you probably will have done, you will be able to call for 
water and he will be obliged to give you room. As your vessel 
is the faster (remember, she is the overtaking boat) you will 
then get by. Before attempting this ruse, however, you should 
note the position of other vessels in the race, for if they are close 


RACING TACTICS 


141 


astern you may, in attempting to pass one rival, be passed 
yourself by several others. 

When steering a yacht in a race you should ever be on the 
qui vive to snatch any legitimate advantage that may present 
itself. Keep your eyes open and note the position of vessels 
at anchor and other obstructions to sea-room, as they may prove 
very valuable to you. By carefully regulating the length of your 
boards you may be able to place your craft between your rival 
and a vessel at anchor, so that you can call for water and put 
him about. By such means you may be able to capture the 
weather berth. Many opportunities of this nature occur in 
yacht racing, and it is the helmsman who sails with his head 
who in the long run is the most successful. 


CHAPTER XXI 

THE CARE OF SAILS AND GEAR 

The life of a small yacht’s sails and gear is often shortened by 
lack of care on the part of the owner, or the caretaker in whose 
charge he leaves the boat during his absence. Particularly is 
this the case with a vessel which is used only at the week-ends. 
Having so little time at his disposal, the owner does not care to 
devote much of it to overhauling gear and is apt to put off little 
matters that need attention with the idea that he will see to them 
some time when the weather is not suitable for sailing. Jobs 
postponed in this manner are very seldom done at all, and in 
the end the owner has only to thank his procrastination when 
something carries away. 

Let us first consider the question of the care of sails. A new 
suit of canvas costs a pretty penny nowadays, and yet many a 
fine mainsail is ruined by carelessness during the early days of 
its life. When you first hoist your new mainsail, don’t expect 
it to set like a card : if it did it *vould probably be a poor sail 
when fully stretched. A new sail, it must be remembered, 
stretches more in some places than in others, and the sailmaker 
makes allowances accordingly. If you try and correct matters 
by forcibly hauling it out on the spars you will probably only 
succeed in irretrievably ruining the sail. When bending the sail 
haul it out on the boom and gaff only hand taut and do not peak 
it too high. As soon as you see the merest suggestion of wrinkle 
at the throat belay your peak halyard. If the weather is fine, 
have your yacht under way as often and as long as possible, 
and as the sail stretches take up the slack on head and foot. 
On no account reef the sail until it is fully stretched, as nothing 

142 


THE CARE OF SAILS AND GEAR 


143 


damages a new sail more. If you have not a trysail and the 
weather looks threatening, remain on your moorings ; but if 
the boat be riding head to wind and tide, it will assist the stretching 
process if you hoist the sail and let it blow about. Should you 
be under way and get caught in a shower of rain, ease up both 
head and foot and also the lacing to allow for the shrinkage 
which will take place when the outhauls and lacings get wet. 
Make sure that the sail is bone dry before coating it, or otherwise 
it may be attacked by milde w, and it will be as well to slack up 
both head and foot a little before stowing it. After four or five 
days’ sailing the new sail will be sufficiently stretched to permit 
of reefing without fear of spoiling. New headsails do not call for 
so much attention as a mainsail but they should not be too 
harshly purchased until stretched. The main thing is to see 
that they are perfectly dry before stowing them away. 

If your sails have been produced by a good maker and you 
treat them fairly during the stretching process, they should set 
perfectly and keep their shape for several seasons. But through¬ 
out their life they must receive careful attention. The trouble 

V 

with a week-end yacht is that the owner so often has to rely upon 
others to attend to the canvas. If he is caught out in rain, or the 
sails get wet with spray, he has to leave the caretaker to air them, 
and such men are not always to be trusted. They are apt to 
coat the mainsail, or stow away a headsail, before it is thoroughly 
dry in order to save themselves the trouble of going off to the 
yacht again. When the owner boards his vessel the following 
week-end he finds his sails covered with tiny specks of mildew 
which nothing will ever take out. He may improve their 
appearance by rubbing in French chalk, as some do, but the 
mildew fiend is still there doing its deadly work. I, personally, 
have had many a good sail spoilt in this manner, but it is one of 
the drawbacks to week-end yachting which it is impossible to 
guard against. 

Perhaps the best thing to do in a week-end yacht is to have 
the sails tanned and dispense with sail covers altogether. The 
craft may not look so smart as she would with white canvas, 
but she will have a workmanlike neat appearance that is not 
displeasing, and it will relieve the owner from all anxiety. 


144 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


Sails that are not used very often, such as a trysail or storm 
jib, are apt to be overlooked. Such sails should be got out of the 
locker at frequent intervals and thoroughly aired. It is a mis¬ 
take to fold them up neatly, or to stow them in canvas bags, 
as they will get far more ventilation if they are put loosely into 
the locker. To assist ventilation further, the floor of the sail 
locker should consist of wooden battens, instead of the usual 
boards, so that a free current of air may get to the sails. Never 
on any account stow warps in the same locker as the sails, for, 
having been wet with salt water, they will always become damp 
when there is any moisture in the air. 

Wire standing rigging should be periodically greased to prevent 
rust. The best way of doing this is to melt a lump of tallow, 
or some other suitable grease, in petrol and paint the rigging 
with the solution, which can be applied with a large brush. If 
you adopt this method the liquid will penetrate into all the 
interstices of the rope, and when the petrol evaporates a coating 
of grease will be left to protect the wire. If you merely rub the 
rigging over with tallow it is possible that the most vital parts 
will not be covered. Flexible wire running gear can be treated 
in the same way, and although some of the grease will soon be 
removed by friction, a good deal of it will remain and afford 
some protection from the weather. In racing craft it is the 
common practice to use wire running gear, as it does not stretch 
to any appreciable extent, and the sails when once properly set 
will remain so all day. Many cruising craft nowadays follow 
the lead of the racing vessels and employ wire halyards. Such 
halyards render beautifully through the blocks and their life, 
with proper care, is longer than that of manila rope, but they 
are, of course, rather more expensive to fit in the first place. 
The only objection that can be raised against wire halyards is 
the difficulty of repairing a break, but as in small yachts it is 
customary to use far heavier wire than necessary, for the sake 
of comfort in handling, the chance of breakage is very remote. 
If you have wire halyards you must have metal blocks and the 
sheaves should be of large diameter so as to avoid sharp nips. 

Damp is the yacht owner’s deadliest enemy, for nothing is so 
destructive to the vessel’s fabric. If you would avoid the risk 


THE CARE OF SAILS AND GEAR 


145 


of the generation of mildew and dry rot, you must pay par¬ 
ticular attention to ventilation. The cabin is far better not 
lined, but if for the sake of appearance you like the interior of 
your vessel to be ceiled, see that holes are drilled in the ceiling 
at frequent intervals. The bunk-risers should also have holes 
bored through them for the same purpose, and the lids of the 
bunk lockers should be constructed of battens, so that a free 
current of air may reach the underside of the cushions. If you 
have linoleum on the cabin floor it should not be nailed down, 
as it is desirable to take it up occasionally so that the floorboards 
may be dried. As the cabin of a week-end yacht is usually 
shut up for five days every week, steps should be taken to 
ventilate it. Perhaps the best plan is to fit a ventilator in the 
cabin-top. If this ventilator be in the form of a mushroom, it 
can be left open without fear of the rain getting into the yacht, 
and when she is under way it can be screwed down to exclude 
driving spray. Be careful, however, to keep the screw well 
greased or it may in course of time become set, so that you 
cannot either open or close the ventilator. 

The condition of the lockers of most week-end yachts is 
disgraceful. The average owner seldom thinks it necessary to 
clean them out and they become receptacles for all sorts of 
rubbish. Few yachtsmen are like Davies, in the Riddle of the 
Sands, w r ho, you will no doubt remember, had a mania for 
throwing things overboard. Most sailing men’s tendencies are 
just the reverse. They hoard up all kinds of unconsidered 
trifles, thinking that they may come in useful some day. If you 
doubt my assertion, just turn out one of your own lockers and 
see w^hat you will find. I am open to lay odds that your collec¬ 
tion will include such items as shackles without pins, rusty 
thimbles, one or two broken blocks, some rusty fish hooks, and 
an empty Blanco tin. These are almost always to be found in 
the lockers of a small yacht, and not one of them is, or ever 
likely to be, of the slightest use. Now, if you make a practice 
of cleaning out your lockers, say, once a month, you will not 
accumulate all this rubbish, and your cabin will be all the 
sweeter. When I say clean out I really mean clean out. Don’t, 
as so many do, just turn out all the contents and then shovel 


L 


146 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


them back again. After emptying the locker, scrub it out 
thoroughly with hot fresh water and soap, taking care to remove 
all the dirt from the corners. When the locker is quite dry 
you can see about restowing the things in it. When you do so 
don’t put in it things that you think “might come in useful” 
some day, stow only such articles as you can’t do without. 
Locker space in a small cruising craft is far too valuable to be 
filled up with useless dunnage. 

Keep an eye on your running gear. Whenever you see the 
whipping coming off a rope’s end, put on a fresh one at once. 
Don’t tie a knot in the end and leave the job for some future 
occasion. That is a slovenly habit, and often means cutting off 
a foot or so of the rope before you are able to whip it when you 
do tackle the job—if you ever do. If you have brass deck 
fittings, either keep them brightly polished or coat them with 
something that will preserve them from discoloration. Nothing 
looks worse than, say, a brass rudderhead that has turned 
green from want of cleaning. In a week-end craft you of course 
have not much time to devote to cleaning brasswork unless 
your sailing is curtailed. The best thing to do in such a craft 
is, I think, to protect the brass with a dressing. First clean 
the fittings thoroughly with some metal polish and then coat 
them with a mixture of petrol and refined boiled linseed oil. 
•This will probably take several days to dry hard, but it will 
keep the brasswork clean and comparatively bright for months. 


CHAPTER XXII 

FITTING OUT AND LAYING UP 

The small yacht owner who makes a practice of fitting out his 
own craft not only saves money but also acquires a good working 
knowledge of marline-spike seamanship. He will, moreover, 
ascertain the condition of every item of his vessel’s gear and 
thus reduce the possibility of breakage when he comes to sail her 
again. It is certainly a job that takes up a good deal of time, 
but if he commences to refit as soon as he has laid up the boat 
in the autumn it will help him to get through the winter months 
when the weather is unsuitable for yachting. 

Before going into the question of fitting out, however, it will 
perhaps be as well to say a few words about laying up. If 
practicable, the yacht should be hauled out of the water and laid 
up under cover, for then she will get a thorough drying during 
the winter and when commissioned the following spring will be 
much more lively than she would if laid up in a mud berth. A 
yacht laid up under cover will, of course, have her mast lifted 
before she is craned out. Another advantage of having the 
vessel under cover is that fitting out operations are much facili¬ 
tated as one is not so dependent upon the weather. 

Unfortunately at many places where yachts are laid up there 
are no means of hauling a boat of, say, five tons out of the water, 
and in such circumstances the owner has no alternative but to 
lay her up in a mud berth. If left thus exposed to the elements, 
steps should be taken to protect the craft from the ravages of the 
weather. A tarpaulin large enough to cover her right over 
may cost the best part of ten pounds, but it will last for years 
and is well worth the money. It should be spread over a 

147 


148 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


ridge-pole securely fixed at a height of about three feet above the 
deck, the ends being left open so that the vessel has plenty of 
ventilation. 

The yacht should be placed in her mud berth at the top of a 
spring tide and securely moored “ all fours.” When she has 
been berthed you should commence to strip her. First unbend 
the sails, and if they are perfectly dry, stow them away in the 
store together with the cabin cushions, bedding, etc. Place a 
quantity of newspapers among the sails in case there should be 
rats or mice in the store. Such vermin much prefer paper to 
anything else for making their nests and if they can get plenty 
they are more likely to leave your sails alone. 

Next turn your attention to the yacht’s gear. As you take 
down each halyard, coil it up neatly and tie on a label bearing the 
name of the halyard so that there may be no risk of confusion 
when you come to rig the craft again. Having stripped her 
aloft, unship the boom, gaff, and bowsprit, with any other 
spars and such articles as sweeps, boathook, etc., and place them 
in the spar shed. If prudent you will fasten them together 
and tie on a label bearing the yacht’s name. Otherwise, they 
may get mixed up with the spars of some other vessel and cause 
confusion. When the mast is left standing it is usual to leave 
the shrouds and forestay also, but everything else that can be 
moved should be stored under cover. 

Now turn your attention to the fittings below decks. Every¬ 
thing should be removed and stowed away in the store. Turn 
out all the lockers, and having sorted the contents, put in boxes 
the things you want to keep. Cooking utensils, after being 
thoroughly dried, should be greased on the outside to prevent 
rust. Stoves should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned and all 
lamps treated in a similar manner. Such articles as plate, 
cutlery, and table linen had better be taken to your home as they 
will probably winter better there than in a store. 

Having cleaned out the cabin and lockers, lift the floorboards, 
and if the yacht has any internal ballast it should be removed 
and taken ashore. When the ballast has been taken out you 
will be able thoroughly to clean the inside of the vessel. Use 
a pointed stick to remove the dirt from inaccessible places and 


FITTING OUT AND LAYING UP 


149 


then give the bottom inside the vessel a good scrubbing. When 
the interior of the boat is dry give her a coat of black varnish, 
applied hot, from the keelson up to the underside of the bunks. 
This will not only make her sweet and clean but also tend to 
preserve the wood. Before the ballast is replaced it should be 
cleaned. If of lead a good scrubbing v ill be all that is necessary, 
but if of iron the pigs should receive a coat of black varnish, 
after chipping off the worst of the rust. During the winter it 
is best to leave the floorboards up and all lockers open so that 
there is every facility for ventilation. If the brasswork has 
not been treated with linseed oil and petrol as I suggested in 
an earlier chapter it should be protected by a thick coating of 
tallow. The mast, if left in situ, should receive a coat of white 
lead and grease, thickly mixed, and the shrouds and forestay, 
if left on the boat, will be all the better for a coat of petrol and 
linseed oil, which can be applied with a brush. 

If it is the intention to renew the running gear there is no 
reason why the new gear should not be made at the owner’s 
home where he will be able to work under more comfortable 
conditions. A keen yachtsman can pass a very pleasant evening 
sitting over the fire making new halyards and sheets, and it will 
help to pass the winter. He should commence on the blocks. 
It is best to attend to the sheaves before starting to scrape the 
shells. If the sheaves have plain bearings all that is necessary 
is to knock out the pins and clean off any rust; but before 
replacing the sheaves blacklead them well. If the blocks have 
patent sheaves they should be lubricated with cycle oil. The 
ordinary three-cornered scraper is rather awkward to handle 
on so small a surface as a block, and an old knife that is fairly 
sharp will be found a much more convenient implement. Scrape 
off all the old varnish, and when the blocks are quite clean and 
white rub them down thoroughly with coarse glass paper. 
They should then receive at least three coats of really good varnish 
applied thinly, care being taken that each coat is thoroughly 
dry before the next is put on. 

Having finished the blocks you can turn your attention to 
the running gear. If some of the halyards are in good condition 
they can be made to serve for another season by turning them 


150 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


end for end. If, however, they have had considerable use and you 
feel at all doubtful about their soundness it will be prudent to 
replace them. Having measured up the old stuff and thus 
ascertained the quantity of new rope you will require, purchase 
rather more than actually necessary, as it is desirable to 
carry a stock of new rope on board so that you are in a position 
to replace any halyard or sheet that may carry away. The 
rope should be of four strands and nothing but the best yacht 
manila should be bought. Remember, when ordering, that 
manila rope is measured by circumference and not the diameter. 
The rope should be a size smaller than that for which the blocks 
are intended, so that it may render freely when wet. The best 
blocks have internal metal strops, but if yours have rope strops 
see that the strops are thoroughly sound. If they seem very 
dry they have probably perished and should be renewed. 

In making your new halyards measure off new rope against 
the old and then turn in the necessary splices as neatly as you 
can. Each strand should be dipped twice, then halved, and dipped 
again. Having completed the splice and pulled the strands 
tight, roll it under your foot until it is smooth and round. Then 
serve it neatly, laying on the service with a serving board. 
The new strops can be made of either tarred hemp (three-strand) 
or, if you prefer it, you can make selvagee strops which are very 
neat and strong. Instructions for making strops will be found 
in the chapter on knotting and splicing. The only objection to 
selvagee strops is that they have to be covered and their condition 
cannot subsequently be ascertained without removing the cover¬ 
ing. The covering may be of either canvas or leather sewn on, 
and in this connection it should be noted that leather should be 
sewn on when wet, as it will then shrink tightly on to the strop 
when it dries. In making a new strop take care that it is only 
just large enough for the block, as it is sure to stretch a little. 
If you make it too easy a fit the block will drop out when the 
strop has stretched. 

If the cabin gear was not overhauled before laying up it should 
be attended to during the winter. You will probably find many 
little jobs, such as enamelling the tins in which you keep tea, 
coffee, and sugar; carpentering jobs ; repairs to cushions, etc. 


FITTING OUT AND LAYING UP 


151 


Now is the time to make and fit that little cupboard you have 
been thinking of putting up in the fo’cas’le for so long, and 
possibly you can induce your womenfolk to make new curtains 
for the cabin. Anyhow, you are sure to find lots of little things 
that require attention, and it is much better to get them done 
during the winter whilst you have plenty of time on your hands. 

The next job that will claim your attention is scraping and 
varnishing the spars. If possible you should do this under 
cover as you will then be independent of the weather. First 
examine the spars for cracks. If you find any large transverse 
cracks the spar should be condemned and replaced. Small longi¬ 
tudinal cracks do not matter, but they should be filled with 
white lead to keep out the weather. It is customary to scrape 
spars with a three-cornered scraper, sharpening the edge from 
time to time with a file. This rough and ready method of 
sharpening is certainly a quick one, but it results in a rather 
rough edge. I find that much better results are obtained by 
sharpening the scraper on an oilstone, like a chisel. If the spars 
are in good condition, all that is necessary is to remove the old 
varnish and rub down with glasspaper. Should the weather 
have got into the spar, however, you may have a lot of trouble 
in getting the spar clean, as a certain amount of wood will have 
to be scraped away. In such circumstances I think it is best to 
use a small plane set very fine. This may seem rather drastic, 
but I don’t think you will cut away any more wood than you 
would with a scraper. Some men use pieces of broken glass 
for scraping spars and get very good results, but it is a slow and 
tedious process. I have an idea that a patent razor blade, 
mounted in some sort of handle, might make a very efficient 
scraper if used carefully, and I mean to try it some day. When 
scraping a spar be careful to work away from any knots in the 
wood, or otherwise you will find that you are scraping against 
the grain. If the old varnish on a spar seems quite hard and 
good and the weather has not eaten into it at all, it may not be 
necessary to scrape it at all. Probably a little rubbing down 
with pumice powder and a damp cloth will do all that is needed. 

After the spars have been well rubbed down with glasspaper 
they can be varnished. At least three coats should be applied, 


152 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


and if it is the intention to keep the yacht in commission for the 
greater part of the year, it will be wise to put on a fourth coat. 
The varnishing should be done on bright dry days and each coat 
allowed to set hard before the next is applied. 

You should now turn your attention to the cabin, for outside 
work is better left to the last as you will probably find more 
settled weather as the spring advances. The first thing to do 
below decks is to get the ballast stowed. Try and get the pigs 
in the same places that they occupied before so that the trim of 
the yacht is not altered. Having shipped the ballast and 
refitted the floorboards, you will be in a position to work in 
comparative comfort. If you are going to re-paint the cabin, 
you will first have to decide whether it is necessary to burn off 
the old paint or if a good rubbing down with pumice will suffice. 
Should the old paint have blistered very much you will not be 
able to produce good results unless you burn it off. This can 
be done quite easily with the aid of a blow lamp and scraper, 
although it is a rather tedious job. After the old paint has been 
burnt off, rub down with glasspaper to get a smooth surface. 
Then put on a coat of priming, two coats of paint, and finally a 
coat of enamel, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before 
the next is applied. Should the old paint be in good condition 
but dirty, rub it down with pumice and then apply a coat of paint 
and one of enamel. Before painting the under side of the deck, 
any necessary caulking should be attended to. 

Having finished the interior decoration, attention can be 
turned to outside work. The first job to be tackled should be the 
mast. If there are any cracks in the spar they should be stopped 
with white lead, which will keep out the weather and prevent rot. 
Having done this, the mast should be carefully scraped, com¬ 
mencing from the head and working downwards. You will have 
to go aloft in a bo’sun’s chair to scrape the upper part of the 
mast. Having scraped the spar quite clean, rub it down well 
with glass paper and apply four coats of varnish. You will of 
course have scraped the hoops at the same time as the mast, 
and when you varnish them keep them apart by slinging them 
on a string. When the varnish on the mast is dry, give the 
rigging another coat of linseed oil and petrol. 


FITTING OUT AND LAYING UP 


153 


The decks of the average small yacht are too thin to keep 
tight unless covered, and it is the usual practice to cover them 
with either canvas or linoleum. Personally I prefer the latter, 
which, if properly stuck down, will last for years with fair treat¬ 
ment. Should your decks be uncovered, it will be necessary 
to remove the varnish placed on them for protection during the 
winter. Any of the many alkaline preparations on the market 
will remove the varnish, but you should not apply the stuff in 
strong sunlight, as it might under such conditions turn the 
decks black. The best plan is to put on the preparation over¬ 
night and wash it off with fresh water early the following morning. 
You can in this manner get your decks beautifully white, but if 
you are wise you will varnish them as they will then keep tight 
without so much attention. 

All bright work on deck, such as the skylight or cabin-top, 
covering board, king plank, well coamings, fore hatch, and tiller, 
must be scraped and varnished, three coats of the very best 
varnish being put on. 

By the time you have done all this the weather will probably 
be favourable for outside painting. First paint the well and 
inside of the bulwarks and then give all the ironwork a coat of 
aluminium paint. This may not have much protective value 
but it looks extremely smart and gives a finish to a yacht’s 
appearance. 

To paint the topsides you will probably find it more convenient 
to leg the yacht on a hard. She will have to go on to the hard 
anyhow for her bottom to be dressed with anti-fouling com¬ 
position, so you may as well do both jobs in comparative comfort. 
Having berthed the vessel on the hard in a position where she can 
be left with safety for several tides, commence operations on the 
topsides. If the old paint is rough or much blistered, burn it 
off in the same way that you did that in the cabin. Then apply 
a coat of priming, two of paint, and one of enamel. Some 
people dispense with the second coat of paint, but if the boat 
is to be in commission until late in the year I think it is necessary. 
If you burn off the topside paint be careful to leave the water¬ 
line well defined, or otherwise you may not be able to get it 
straight when you apply the new paint. 


154 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


The bottom, after it has been scrubbed, should receive two 
coats of good anti-fouling composition. Use the anti-fouling 
composition that is most popular in the district, as it has probably 
been proved by experience to be the most suitable for those 
waters. Don’t on any account try and put on the composition 
by yourself, for if you do you will merely waste your time and 
money. Applying anti-fouler is a two men job, as it is absolutely 
essential that the stuff is stirred all the time. Most anti-fouling 
compositions dry almost as fast as you can put the stuff on, 
and so you can start on the second coat as soon as you have 
finished the first. 

You will now have almost completed your refitting operations, 
as all that remains is to reeve the running gear and bend the 
sails. Should your rigging be set up with lanyards, examine 
them carefully, and if you have the slightest doubt about their 
condition, fit new lanyards. Also examine the seizings of the 
shrouds, which are usually put on in pairs. If a seizing breaks 
you will in all probability lose your mast, so it is no more than 
prudent to pay special attention to their condition. Should 
your shrouds be set up with rigging screws, grease the threads 
of the screws well with tallow. See that they are not screwed 
up too tight and also that the tension on both is practically the 
same. 

All that you now have to do is to get the cabin gear on board 
and stowed away. A place for everything and everything in 
its place should be your motto, and if you abide by it you will 
always be able to put your hand on anything you want, even 
in the dark. When you take your little craft off to her moorings 
and see how smart she looks, you will be amply repaid for all your 
labour, and it is very certain that you will know far more about 
her gear than you did when you commenced to refit her. 


CHAPTER XXIII 

KNOTTING AND SPLICING 

Knotting and splicing are best learnt from practical demonstra¬ 
tion, and I strongly advise you to get some expert yachting 
friend or a waterman to give you a few lessons. To describe 
how to make the various knots and hitches commonly used by 
sailormen is by no means an easy matter, whilst to illustrate 
them clearly is even more difficult. I will in this chapter, 
however, endeavour to explain how the knots more commonly 
used by yachtsmen are made. 



The Parts of a Rope. —To enable you to follow the instruc¬ 
tions I give for making the various knots and hitches, it will be 
necessary for you to know what the different parts of a rope are 
called. This you will gather from the accompanying diagram 
(Fig. 14). In the following diagrams the rope’s end is shown 
pointed so that you may distinguish it from the standing part. 

Overhand Knot. —You will see how to make this from the 
diagram (Fig. 15). It is of very little use by itself, but it forms 
the basis of the reef knot. 



155 




156 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Reef Knot. —This is simply one overhand knot made over 
another (Fig. 16). You will notice that both standing part 
and end pass through the bight the same way, otherwise it would 
be what is commonly called a “ granny.” As you will gather 
from its name, the reef knot is used for tying up the reef points 
of a sail. Don’t use it for joining two ropes together as it is 
not reliable when thus employed, particularly if the ropes happen 
to be of different sizes. 




Fig. 17. 


Clove Hitch.— This is a most useful hitch, as it can be 
employed for many purposes. The diagram above (Fig. 17) 
will show you how to make it. Note that when making the 
hitch the end follows on, that is to say, it travels in the same 
direction throughout. 



Fig. 18. 



Half Hitch. —The end of the rope is passed round the standing 
part and brought up through the bight (Fig. 18). 

Two Half Hitches.— Make a half hitch and repeat it (Fig. 19). 
Two half hitches are often used for securing a dinghy painter 
to a post, or making fast a rope to a ring. 









KNOTTING AND SPLICING 


157 


Figure of Eight, or Flemish, Knot. —Pass the end of the 
rope over and then under the standing part and bring it down 
through the bight from above (Fig. 20). This knot is used on the 
end of a headsail sheet to prevent it running out through the 
fairlead when the yacht is in stays. 



Fig. 20. 



Fig. 21. 


Timber Hitch. —Take the end of the rope round a spar, pass 
it under and over the standing part, and then take several turns 
round its own part (Fig. 21). This can be used for making the 
topsail halyard fast to the yard or for towing a spar. 

Bowline. —Make a small bight, then pass the end through 
same, then round the standing part from above and finally back 
through the bight from below (Fig. 22). There is a quicker way 
of making a bowline than this, but it is a knack which can only 


h 



Fig. 22. 



Fig. 23. 



Fig. 24. 


be learnt from demonstration. A bowline is one of the most 
useful knots known to the sailorman and can be employed for 
many purposes. It will not come adrift under any conditions 
and yet can always be undone easily when desired. When 
you make fast your dinghy to a ring on the causeway on a rising 
tide you should do so with a very long bowline so that you can 
get at the knot to undo it should you want the boat at high 
water when the ring is immersed. 








158 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Common Bend. —Make a bight in the end of one rope and then 
pass the end of another through the bight, round both parts, 
and tuck the end under its own part. This is commonly used 
for bending two ropes together (Fig. 23). 

Rolling Hitch. —This is used when you want to attach a tail 
block to a rope, or if you require a hitch that will not slip on a 
spar. Take a turn with the end of the rope round the spar or 
rope to which you wish to hitch, bringing the end below the 
standing part. Then take another turn above the first, jam¬ 
ming it between the first turn and the standing part. Finish 
off with a half hitch over all for the sake of security (Fig. 24). 

Sheet Bend. —This is used for bending on the spinnaker 
halyard or topsail sheet. It is very like a common bend but 
the cringle of the sail takes the place of the bight, whilst the rope 
is passed round twice instead of only once (Fig. 25). 



Fig. 25. 



Fig. 26. 


Fisherman’s Bend. —This is used for securing the warp to a 
kedge. Pass the rope twice through the ring of the anchor, 
then over the standing part, and finally through both the turns 
on the anchor ring. For the sake of security finish off with a 
half hitch round the standing part (Fig. 26). 

Topsail Halyard Bend. —As its name implies, this is used 
for securing the topsail halyard to the yard. Pass the end of the 
halyard three times round the yard, then over the standing part, 
down through all three turns, then over the last two turns and 
under the third (Fig. 27). 

To Make a Short Splice.— Unlay the rope ends for about six 
inches and place them together so that the strands interlock 


KNOTTING AND SPLICING 


159 


(Fig. 28). Now take a strand and pass it over the one opposite 
to it and under the next (Fig. 29). Do the same with the other 
strands until each has been dipped twice (Fig. 30). Then halve 
the strands, i.e ., cut away half the yarns, and dip once more. 





Fig. 29. 



Fig. 30. 


Cut off the ends and then roll the splice under your foot to 
smooth down the work. When splicing rope the strands must 
be lifted with a marline-spike, or better still, with a fid. A fid 
is a marline-spike made of hard wood. It is nicer to work with 
than an iron spike and does not damage the rope so much. 

To Make an Eye Splice. —The principle involved is just 
the same as in a short splice. Unlay the strands for about six 
inches and lay back the end of the rope on to the standing part 
so as to form an eye of the desired size. Then take the middle 
strand that you have unlaid and dip it beneath one of the laid-up 














160 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


strands. Working from right to left, do the same with the next 
strand. Then turn the rope over and pass the third strand 
under the remaining laid-up strand. Dip each strand once 
more, then halve them and dip again. 

To Make a Rope Grommet. —To make a grommet such as is 
used for stropping a block, unlay a strand of rope, taking care 
not to disturb the lay more than you can help. Then lay it up 
again (Figs. 31 and 32). To finish it off, halve the strands and 
tie an overhand knot. Then dip the ends, as in splicing, and cut 
them off. When completed the grommet should have the 
appearance of a neat rope ring, like a deck quoit. The length 
of strand to unlay should be rather more than three times the 
circumference of the finished grommet. 



Fig. 31. 



Fig. 32. 


To Make a Long Splice. —Should you carry away a halyard 
or any other rope that has to render through a block, the only 
practical method of repairing the damage is by means of a long 
splice, which does not add to the thickness of the rope. Unlay 
the strands about three times as far as you would for a short 
splice and place the ends together so that the strands interlock. 
Now unlay one strand still further, laying up in its place the 
opposite strand. Do this with all the strands (Fig. 33). Then 
halve the strands, tie an overhand knot with each pair, cut out 
some more yarns and dip each strand once before cutting off 
the superfluous ends. If neatly made the long splice will be 
almost invisible, will render freely through the block, and will be 
as strong as the rest of the rope. 

To Pass a Seizing. —A block or thimble is secured in a rope 
by means of a seizing. Take a length of stout tarred marline 
and make a small eye in the end with a timber hitch. Pass it 


KNOTTING AND SPLICING 


161 


round one part of the rope that is to be operated upon, and, 
threading the other end through the eye, haul taut. Then 
take a number of neat turns round both parts of the rope, just 



Fig. 33. 


below the thimble or block, hauling each turn as tight as possible, 
using the marline-spike as a lever. When the seizing is sufficiently 
wide, put on another layer of turns, working back over the first 
lot. The second layer of turns are called “ riders ” and lie in 



Fig. 34. 

A round seizing. 



Fig. 35. 


the interstices of the first layer (Fig. 34). Then take a couple 
of turns round the seizing between the two parts of the rope, 
and finish off with a clove hitch (Fig. 35). 


M 
















162 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


To Whip a Rope’s End. —Rope ends are whipped with 
seaming twine to prevent the strands unravelling. To do this, 
take a length of twine about 18 inches long and lay about an 
inch of one end along the rope-end, holding it in position with 
your thumb whilst you lay on the first few turns of the whipping. 
Whip towards the end of the rope and when you have put on 
about two-thirds of the whipping, lay back the other end of the 



Fig. 36. 

Whipping an end. 


twine on the rope and whip over it, passing the bight of twine 
over the rope-end each turn. When you have put on sufficient 
turns, haul the end of the twine taut and cut it off. The rope-end 
will then be neatly whipped with both ends tucked under the 
whipping (Fig. 36). 

To Make a Selvagee Stkop. —Drive two nails into a stout 
plank at a distance apart determined by the size of the strop 



Fig. 37. 


required. Then take a ball of spunyarn, or marline, and make 
the end fast to one of the nails. Wind the spunyarn tightly round 
and round the nails until a suitable thickness is obtained and then 







KNOTTING AND SPLICING 


163 


seize the strop with spunyarn in five or six places. The strop 
must then be covered either with canvas or leather. If you 
use canvas the cover must be painted after it has been sewn on. 
If the strop is covered with leather, wet the latter before sewing 
it on. Selvagee strops are easilv made, are very neat, and quite 
strong (Fig. 37). 


Ml 
















GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


Aback. —A sail is said to be aback when the clew is to windward 
and tends to drive the vessel astern. 

Abaft. —Astern of. 

Abeam. —At right angles to the keel amidships. 

Aboard. —On board of. 

About. —A vessel is said to be about when she has filled on her new 
tack after staying. About ship. —The order given when the 
vessel is to tack. 

Adrift. —Floating unrestrained on the tide. A term also applied to 
anything that has carried away or come unfastened. 

Aft. —The stern part of the vessel; the opposite to forward. 

Aground. —A vessel is said to be aground when her keel rests on the 
ground. 

Ahead. —Forward of. 

A=lee. —To leeward : away from the wind. 

Aloft. —High up above. A man is said to go aloft when he climbs 
up the mast or rigging. 

Alongside. —By the side of. The dinghy is said to be alongside when 
it lies at the side of the vessel to embark passengers. 

Amidships. —The middle of the vessel. 

Anchor, a foul.— An anchor is said to be foul when the cable is wound 
round the fluke or stock, causing it to drag. 

A*peak. —An anchor is said to be a-peak when the chain has been 
hove short and the vessel is right over the anchor. 

Ashore. —The same as aground. 

Astern. —In the direction of the stern ; also the nautical equivalent 
of behind. 

Athwart. —Across : the opposite to fore-and-aft. 

A*trip. —The anchor is said to be a-trip when it is weighed or broken 
out of the ground. 

Avast. —Stop : “ Avast heaving ” is the order given to the crew to 
indicate that they are to stop hauling on a rope. 

165 


166 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Awash. —A term used to indicate anything upon which the water 
is commencing to flood— e.g ., “ the lee decks are awash.” 

A=weather. —To windward. 

Back. —To back a sail is to sheet it to windward. 

Baffling wind. —A fickle breeze which continually changes its 
direction. 

Bail (or Bale). —To lave water out of a boat with a bucket or bailer. 

Bailer. —A small metal basin with a short handle : the person who 
bails. 

Ballast. —Weight carried low down in a vessel for the sake of stability. 

Balloon sails. —Large sails made of very light material used in light 
winds, particularly when racing. A balloon jib extends from the 
topmast-head to the bowsprit-end, the clew being abaft the 
mast. The balloon foresail is hanked to the forestay and the 
foot extends abaft the mast. The balloon sail most commonly 
used in small yachts is the spinnaker (q.v.). 

Bare poles. —A vessel is said to be under bare poles when she has no 
sails set. 

Beach. —The shore. A vessel is said to be beached when she is run 
ashore. 

Beam. —A transverse timber that supports the deck : the extreme 
breadth of a vessel. Before the Beam. —Anything that is at a 
smaller angle than 90 degrees of the beam. Abaft the beam. — 
Anything that is at a greater angle than 90 degrees of the beam. 
Beam wind. —A wind blowing at right angles to the keel. On 
her beam ends. —A vessel is said to be on her beam ends when 
she is hove down in a squall so that she heels excessively. 

Bear away, or bear up. —To put the helm to windward. Both terms 
mean the same thing, but whilst bear up refers to the helm, 
bear away refers to the vessel’s head. 

Bearings. —The direction one object has from another, as, for 
instance, the direction of an object ashore from the vessel. 

Beat. —To beat to windward is to sail against the wind. As no craft 
can sail directly into the wind’s eye, she sails a zig-zag course, 
first on one tack and then on the other, sailing as close to the 
wind on each as she can with advantage. Also termed “ turning 
to windward ” and “ thrashing to windward.” 

Becalm. —A vessel is said to be becalmed when all her wind is taken 
by another craft passing her to windward, or when she is under 
the lee of a pier or other high obstruction. She is becalmed 
when there is a complete absence of wind. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


167 


Becket. —An eye: such as the eye of a block by which it is suspended. 

Before the Wind. —Running with the wind aft. 

Belay. —To belay a rope is to make it fast on a cleat. 

Belaying pin. —A pin in a rack to which a rope can be secured. 

Below. —Under decks. One is said to go below when one goes into 
the cabin or fo’castle. 

Bend. —A knot for fastening two ropes together or for securing a 
rope to a spar. To bend a sail is to secure it to a yard, or gaff. 
To bend on a halyard or sheet is to make it fast to the spar 
or sail, as the case may be. 

Beneaped, or neaped. —A vessel is said to be beneaped when she 
goes ashore at the top of a tide and the succeeding tide is not 
sufficiently high to refloat her. 

Berth. —A sleeping place in a vessel. To berth a vessel is to place 
her in the desired position in an anchorage or dock, or ashore. 

Bight .—A loop in a rope : a bay. 

Bilge .—The curve of a vessel’s bottom inside where the bottom 
merges into the side. 

Binnacle. —The case in which the compass is housed. 

Bitter end. —The last link of a chain cable which is secured to the 
bitts to prevent the chain being lost overboard, hence the old 
saying “ to the bitter end.” When the cable is thus secured it is 
said to be “ weather-bitted.” 

Bitts. —Stout timbers fitted through the fore-deck to receive the heel 
of the bowsprit. 

Block. —A pulley with one, two, or more sheaves. 

Blue Peter. —A blue rectangular flag with a white square centre, 
hoisted five minutes before the start of a race simultaneously 
with the firing of the first gun. 

Board. —A tack to windward when beating, also termed a leg. A 
vessel is said to be on her long board or long leg when she is 
sailing on her more favourable tack when the wind is not quite 
ahead. By the Board. —A mast is said to go by the board when 
it breaks off short near the deck. 

Boathook. —A pole with a hook mounted on the head used for 
picking up a mooring buoy or for holding a dinghy alongside 
a vessel or landing stage. 

Boatswain’s stores. —A spare stock of rope, blocks, thimbles, etc., 
carried on board in case of emergencies. 

Bobstay. —The stay from the stem to bowsprit-end. 

Bollard. —A timber to which ropes are fastened, sometimes made 
of metal with two heads. 


168 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Bolt. —A metal fastening. Eye bolt. —A bolt with an eye in which a 
block can be hooked. A ring bolt is an eye bolt with a ring in 
the eye. Bolt rope. —The rope sewn round the edge of a sail. 
Fore-and-aft sails are usually roped only on the luff and on 
the corners. In modern yacht sails the luff rope is usually of 
flexible wire rope to prevent stretching. 

Boom. —A spar used to extend the foot of a sail. 

Bow. —The fore part of a vessel. 

Bower anchor. —The anchor that is generally used and to which the 
chain cable is attached. 

Bowse. —To bowse is to haul lustily on a rope. 

Bowsprit. —A short spar projecting from the bow of a vessel, to 
which the tack of the jib is secured. 

Bowsprit bitts. —(See bitts). 

Bowsprit Shrouds. —Stays leading from the bowsprit-end to the sides 
of the vessel to take lateral strains. 

Break off. —When a vessel is sailing close hauled and the wind heads 
her so that she has to sail to leeward of her course, the wind is 
said to “ break her off.” 

Break Tacks. —To go from one tack to the other. 

Bridle. —When a vessel rides to two anchors she is said to ride on 
a bridle. 

Bring to. —To luff. 

Bring up. —To anchor, or moor. 

Broach to. —When a vessel is running before a heavy following sea 
she sometimes has a tendency to slew round against her helm, 
which is termed broaching to. 

Broadside on. —Anything at right angles to a vessel’s side is said 
to be broadside on. 

Brought up. —Anchored or moored. 

Bull’s-eye. —A block, or fairlead, without a sheave, stropped with 
rope or metal. 

Bulwark. —A ledge round the deck of a vessel to keep things from 
falling or washing overboard. 

Bumpkin— (or boomkin). A short stout spar extending from the 
stern of a yawl or lugger to which the mizzen sheet is led. 

Bunk. —A sleeping berth in a vessel. 

Bunt. —The middle portion or bag of a sail. 

Burgee. —A triangular flag, or pennant, flown from the masthead. 

Burton. —A purchase consisting of two single blocks used for hauling 
the anchor on deck when it is too heavy to be lifted by hand. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


169 


By the head.— A vessel is said to be by the head when her ballast 
is too far forward. 

By the lee.— A vessel is by the lee when the wind blows on the same 
side as that on which she is carrying her mainsail. 

By the stern. —The opposite to “ by the head.” 

By the wind. —Close hauled. 

Cable. —The chain or rope to which a vessel’s anchor is secured. 

Carry away. —To break a spar, rope, or other portion of the vessel’s 
gear. 

Cast. —To turn the vessel’s head when getting under way, so that 
she fills on a certain tack. 

Catch a turn (or Snatch a turn). —Is to take a quick turn with a rope 
round a cleat or bollard. 

Caulk. —To drive oakum into the seams of a vessel’s planking or 
decks. Caulking iron. —The implement used for caulking. 

Centre Plate (or Centre board). —A metal plate, or wooden board, 
lowered through a slot cut in a vessel’s keel to increase her 
lateral resistance when she is sailing to windward. 

Chain Plates. —The metal fittings on the sides of a vessel to which ' 
the shrouds are set up. 

Check. —To check a sheet is to ease it out. 

Chock=a=block. —When the two blocks of a tackle are brought so 
close together that they can go no further, the tackle is said 
to be chock-a-block. 

Cleat. —A fitting of wood or metal with two arms to which a rope is 
belayed. Thumb=cleat. —A similar fitting with only one arm 
secured to a spar to prevent the halyard slipping. 

Clew. —The lower after corner of a fore-and-aft sail. In a square 
sail, both lower corners are called clews. 

Close hauled. —A vessel is said to be “ close hauled ” when she is 
sailing as close to the wind as she can with advantage. 

Close reefed. —When a sail is reefed as much as it can be. The main¬ 
sails of most small yachts have three rows of reef points, but 
sometimes there is a fourth row. 

Coach roof. —A raised cabin-top, as usually fitted in small yachts 
to increase the headroom of the cabin. 

Coamings. —The sides of the cabin top ; also the vertical planks 
fitted round the well to keep out water. 

Cockpit. —The well in the after part of a small yacht in which the 
helmsman and crew sit. 


170 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


Come to. —A vessel is said to “ come to ” when she flies up into the 
wind or comes nearer to the wind. 

Come up, To —To ease up the fall of a tackle so that it can be belayed. 

Compass card. —The dial of the compass divided into thirty-two 
parts. These parts are in turn each sub-divided into four parts. 

Compass point. —The thirty-second part of a circle : approximately 
11J degrees. 

Counter. —A projecting stern. 

Course. —The direction in which the vessel is sailing, or the direction 
in which she has to sail, from one point to another. 

Covering board. —The outside deck plank which covers the heads 
of the timbers. 

Craft. —A vessel. 

Crank. —Said of a vessel that heels too easily. 

Cranse iron. —The metal fitting at the end of the bowsprit to which 
the bowsprit gear is secured. 

Cringle .—A metal thimble let into the corners and leaches of sails. 

Cross seas. —Waves that come in a direction different from that in 
which the wind is blowing : usually experienced after a change 
of wind. 

Cross=trees. —Spreaders fitted near the mast head to spread the 
topmast or masthead shrouds. 

Crown of an anchor. —That portion of an anchor where the arms 
join the shank. 

Crutch. —A support for the boom when the sail is stowed. Another 
term for a rowlock. 

Cutter. —A vessel with one mast, carrying mainsail, foresail and jib. 

Davits. —Iron fittings projecting over a vessel’s side for hoisting a 
boat. 

Dead=eye. —A round block of hard wood with three holes but no 
sheaves, formerly used for setting up the shrouds ; seldom used 
in yachts nowadays. 

Dinghy. —A small rowing or sailing boat used as tender to a yacht. 

Downhaul. —A rope used for pulling down a sail. 

Down helm. —The order given to the helmsman when it is desired 
to bring the vessel to the wind. 

Down wind. —With the wind, or running. 

Drag. —A vessel is said to drag when her anchor fails to hold her. 

Draught. —A vessel’s draught is the depth of water required to float 
her. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


171 


Draw. —When the wind fills a sail it is said to draw. To “ let draw ” 
is to let go the weather sheet and trim in the lee one. 

Drift. —To float with the tide : the distance between the blocks of 
a tackle. 

Earings. —Ropes used for hauling down the leach of a sail when 
reefing ; also called pendants. 

Even keel.—A vessel is said to be on an even keel when she is floating 
upright and not listing either to port or starboard. 

Eyes of the rigging. —The loops on the shrouds that go over the mast¬ 
head. 

Eye splice. —The end of a rope turned back and spliced so as to 
form an eye. 

Fairlead. —A bull’s-eye or eye bolt through which a sheet is led. 

Fair wind. —A wind that enables a vessel to lay her course without 
tacking. 

Fall. —The hauling part of a halyard or tackle. 

False Tack, A.— To put the helm down as if going about and then to 
fill on the old tack again. It is a common racing trick, and also 
used sometimes when beating up a narrow waterway, such as 
rivers on the Norfolk Broads. 

Fathom. —A nautical measure of six feet. 

Fender {or fendoff). —A buffer made of rope, cork, or other suitable 
material, attached to a short rope, which is used to prevent 
damage when a vessel comes in to contact with, or lies alongside 
of, a pier or another vesesl. 

Fend off. —To push a vessel clear of an obstruction with a boathook 
or other implement. 

Fetch. —When a vessel sailing close hauled reaches an object for 
which she has been steering without making a tack she is said 
to fetch it. 

Fid. —An iron pin used to secure the heel of a topmast or bowsprit: 
a wooden marline-spike. 

Fiddle block. —A double block having one sheave above the other. 

Fill, To. —To fill the sails with wind. When a vessel has been head to 
wind or hove to, to fill on her is to put up the helm until the 
sails draw. 

Fish, To. —To strengthen a damaged spar by lashing another, or a 
wooden batten, alongside it. 

Fit out, To. —To overhaul a vessel and her gear after she has been 
laid up. 


172 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Floors. —The bottom timbers of a vessel. 

Flush deck. —When the deck is all on the same level— i.e.> without 
a cabin top. 

Fluke. —The flattened end of the arm of an anchor ; a flaw in the 
wind. 

Foot. —The lower edge of a sail. 

Fore. —In front of ; in contradistinction to aft. 

Fore=and=aft. —In a direction parallel with the keel. 

Fore=and=aft rig. —Rigs in which no square-sails are employed. 

Forecastle. —The cabin forward of the mast. 

Fore deck. —The deck forward of the mast. 

Fore foot. —The point where the keel joins the stem. 

Fore guy. —A rope leading forward from the outboard end of the 
spinnaker boom. 

Foresail. —A triangular sail hanked to the forestay of a cutter, yawl, 
or ketch ; the foremost sail of a sloop ; the foremost gaff sail 
of a schooner. 

Foresheet. —The sheet of a foresail. 

Fore=horse. —An iron bar on which the foresheet works in some 
vessels, notably smacks and barges. In a barge it is often of 
wood. 

Forge ahead. —When a vessel gathers way. 

Foul. —When a rope is entangled it is said to be foul: to collide 
with another vessel. 

Foul anchor. —When a turn of the cable gets round the arm or stock 
of the anchor. 

Foul berth. —When a vessel at anchor has not room to swing clear 
of another. 

Free. —A vessel is said to be sailing free when she is not close hauled. 

Freeboard. —The side of a vessel that is not immersed. 

Full. —When the sails are full of wind. 

Full and bye. —When a vessel is sailing as close to the wind as she 
can without any of the sails lifting, or shaking. 

Furl, To —To stow a sail on a spar. 

Gaff. —The spar to which a fore-and-aft sail is bent. 

Gammon iron. —An iron hoop bolted to the stemhead to receive the 
bowsprit. 

Garboards. —The planks next to the keel. 

Gaskets. —Pieces of rope or canvas used for lashing the mainsail 
to the spars when the sail is furled ; also called tiers. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


173 


Gilling .—To gill a vessel along is to sail her very close so that she 
does not feel the whole weight of the wind, as when nursing 
her through a squall. 

Go about. —A vessel is said to go about when she tacks. 

Gooseneck. —The jointed bolt by which a boom is secured to the mast. 

Gripe, To.— A vessel is said to gripe when she carries excessive 
weather-helm. 

Grommet. —A rope ring used for stropping a block. 

Ground tackle. —The anchors and chains used for anchoring or moor¬ 
ing a vessel. 

Gudgeons. —The eye-bolts in the sternpost that carry the rudder. 

Guy.— A rope used for steadying a spar. 

Gybe .—To bring a vessel so much by the lee that the mainsail swings 
over to the other side : the opposite to staying. 

Halyard. —A rope used for hauling up a sail. 

Hand, To. —To hand a sail is to take it in or stow it. 

Hand lead. —The lead weight attached to a line with which soundings 
are taken. 

Handsomely.— Gradually, carefully. 

Handy Billy. —A watch tackle purchase kept for general use when 
extra power is required. 

Hard down and Hard up. —The orders given to put the helm over 
as far as possible to leeward and windward respectively. 

Hard in. —The sheets are hard in when a vessel is sailing to windward. 

Hatchway. —An opening in a deck. Hatch. —The cover for same. 

Haul. —To pull on a rope. 

Haul her wind. —A vessel is said to haul her wind when she becomes 
close-hauled after sailing free. 

Hawsehole. —The hole through which the cable passes. 

Hawser. —A large rope with a right-handed lay. 

Head. —The forepart of a vessel; also the upper part of a sail. 

Headsails. —The sails forward of the mast. 

Head wind. —A wind that blows from ahead of a vessel. 

Heave short. —To get in the cable until the vessel is over her anchor. 

Heave the lead. —To heave the lead is to take soundings with the 
hand lead. 

Heave to. —To trim the sails so that the vessel lies almost stationary : 
the same as to lie to. 

Heel. —The heel of a vessel is the point where the keel joins the stern- 
post ; the lower end of a spar ; the after end of a bowsprit; 
the list of a vessel. 


N 


174 


SEAMANSHIP FOE YACHTSMEN 


Heel to. —To list over from an upright position. 

Helm. —The tiller, or wheel, used for controlling the rudder. 

Helm’s a=lee. —The call of the helmsman as he puts down the helm 
to go about, thus warning the crew to let fly the headsail sheets. 

Helm, To port the. —To put the tiller over towards the port side. 

Helm, To put down the. —To put the tiller towards the lee side. 

Helm, To put up the. —To put the tiller towards the windward side. 

Helm, To starboard the. —To put the tiller towards the starboard side. 

Helm, To steady the. —To put the tiller amidships. 

Hoist. —The space required for hoisting the luff of a sail. 

Horse.—A bar of metal or wood upon which the sheets travel in 
some fore-and-aft vessels. 

Hounds. —Wooden shoulders at the masthead upon which the 
shrouds rest. 

In irons.— A vessel is said to be in irons when she is head to wind 
without way and will not fill on either tack. 

Jack yard. —A small yard on the foot of a large topsail to which the 
topsail sheet is secured. By the use of a jackyard it is possible 
to increase the area of the topsail, the foot extending some way 
beyond the gaff-end. Sometimes called a Jenny yard. 

Jaws. —The horns fitted to the gaff which engage on the mast. 

Jib. —The triangular sail set on the bowsprit. In the case of a sloop 
which has but one headsail, it is usually termed the foresail, 
although not hanked to the forestav. 

Jib=header. —A thimble-headed topsail. 

Jib topsail. —A light triangular sail set above the jib, hanked to the 
topmast stay. 

Kedge. —A small anchor carried in vessels for use as an auxiliary to 
the bower anchor. 

Keel. —The fore-and-aft timber upon which the whole structure of 
the hull is built. 

Keelson. —An inner keel fitted over the floors. 

Ketch. —A two-masted fore-and-aft vessel like a yawl, but having 
a larger mizzen. The mizzen mast is stepped forward of the 
rudder. 

Knees. —Triangular pieces of wood used for strengthening certain 
parts of a vessel; occasionally made of iron or steel. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


175 


Knot. —A division of the log line which was formerly used in con¬ 
junction with a sand glass to gauge the speed of a vessel through 
the water. 

Knots. —(See chapter on “ Knotting and Splicing.”) 

Lanyards. —The ropes used to set up the shrouds and stays. 

Lay her course. —A vessel lays her course when she heads for the mark 
for which she is making. 

Lay up, To. —To dismantle a vessel and berth her for the winter. 

Leach. —The after edge of a fore-and-aft sail. 

Lee. —The side opposite to that from which the wind blows. 

Lee board. —A wooden board lowered over the side to prevent a 
vessel making excessive leeway when on a wind. In this country 
lee boards are now seldom used in any craft but Thames barges. 

Lee=going tide. —A tide running in the same direction as the wind. 

Lee helm. —The opposite to weather helm. A vessel that has a 
tendency to run off her helm is said to carry lee helm. 

Lights .—For particulars of the lights yachts have to carry after 
dark, see the chapter on “ The Rule of the Road.” 

List. —A vessel is said to list when she heels over from the perpendi¬ 
cular. 

Long leg. —A vessel’s more favourable tack when beating to wind¬ 
ward. 

Luff. —To bring the vessel’s head nearer the wind : the fore edge 
of a fore-and-aft sail. 

Luff tackle. —A tackle consisting of a double block and a single one, 
the standing part of the rope being secured to the latter. 

Lugger. —A vessel rigged with a lug sail or lugsails. 

Lug sail (dipping). —A sail hoisted on a mast traveller and set to 
leeward of the mast, with the tack made fast at or near the 
stem. The yard has to be passed round the mast when the boat 
goes about. 

Lying to. —When a vessel is hove to she is said to be lying to. 

Mainsheet. —The rope or tackle by which the mainsail is trimmed. 

Make fast. —To secure or belay a rope. 

Make sail. —To set the sails. 

Marline*Spike.—A pointed iron used to separate the strands of a 
rope when splicing. 

Masthead. —That portion of a mast which is above the hounds. 

Mast hoops. —The wooden hoops on the mast to which the luff of 
the mainsail is secured. 


176 SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 

Miss stays. —When a vessel refuses to go about she is said to miss 
stays. 

Mizzenmast. —The after-mast of a yawl or ketch. 

Moor. —A vessel is said to be moored when she rides to two anchors 
or is made fast to the shore, buoys, or dolphins by two or more 
warps. 

Mouse, To. —To wind yarns or marline round sister hooks to prevent 
them opening and coming adrift. 

Muzzle, To. —To muzzle a sail is to grasp it firmly in the arms when 
taking it in to prevent its blowing overboard. 

Neaped. —(See Beneaped). 

Neap tides. —Tides that occur between the new and full moon ; they 
have a smaller range than spring tides, which occur at or about 
the full and change of the moon. 

Nose=ender. —A wind that blows from dead ahead. 

On a wind. —A vessel is said to be on a wind when she is sailing 
close-hauled. 

Outhaul.—A rope or tackle used for hauling a sail out on a spar, 
such as the jib outhaul. 

Overhangs. —The parts of a vessel which extend beyond the water¬ 
line at her extremities. 

Painter. —The rope secured to the bow of a dinghy by which she 
is made fast. 

Paltry. —A wind is said to be paltry when it is light and fickle. 

Parcel. —To parcel a rope is to cover it with canvas or leather. 

Parrel. —A short line, on which is threaded a number of small wooden 
balls, attached to the jaws of the gaff to prevent them coming 
away from the mast. 

Part, To. —A rope is said to part when it breaks. 

Partners. —Short timbers fitted between the deck beams in a fore- 
and-aft direction to support the mast at the deck. 

Pass, To. —To reeve. 

Pawl. —An iron stop which engages in the cogs of the windlass to 
prevent the drum running back. 

Pay, To .—To run marine glue into the seams after they have been 
caulked. 

Pay out, To .—To slack out. 

Peak. —The upper after corner of a gaff sail. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


177 


Peak downhaul. —A rope secured to the end of the gaff, by which 
the peak of the sail is hauled down. 

Peak halyards. —The rope or tackle by which the peak of a sail is set. 

Pendant. —A rope used for hauling down and securing the leach of 
a sail when it is reefed. 

Pintles. —The metal hooks by which the rudder is attached to the 
sternpost. 

Point, To. —A vessel is said to point high when she lays a course 
very close to the wind. 

Pole mast. —A mast that has a long head to take the place of a top¬ 
mast. 

Poop. —The raised after part of a vessel. When a sea breaks aboard 
of a vessel that is running before the wind, she is said to be 
pooped. 

Port. —The left-hand side of a vessel when looking forward : the 
opposite to starboard. 

Preventers. —Additional stays used to support a spar. 

Purchase. —A tackle or any other mechanical means of obtaining 
power. 

Put about. —To tack. 

Quarters. —The sides of a vessel between the midship section and 
the stern. 

Quarter wind. —A wind that blows on the vessel’s quarter. 

Racking.— An in-and-out seizing used to prevent the parts of a 
tackle from slipping whilst the fall is being secured. 

Rail. —A timber fitted to the heads of the bulwark stanchions. 

Ramp. —To ramp a vessel along is to sail her rather full when on the 
wind. 

Range. —A vessel is said to range when she sheers about at anchor. 
To range cable is to overhaul the chain so that it is ready to 
run freely when the anchor is dropped. The range of tide is 
the difference between the depth of water at high and low 
tide. 

Reaching. —A vessel that has the wind on her side and can lay her 
course without tacking is said to be reaching. If the wind is 
abaft the beam, she is said to be on a broad reach. 

Ready about. —The order given when about to tack. 

Reef. —To reduce the size of a sail by tying up a portion of it. 

Reef cringles. —The thimbles in the leach of a sail through which 
the reef earings, or pendants, are rove. 


178 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Reef earing. —See Pendant. 

Reef points. —Short lengths of rope attached to sails by which the 
reefed portion of the sail is tied up. 

Reef tackle. —The tackle under the boom by which the reef pendants 
are hauled down. 

Reeve. —To pass a rope through a block, or through a hole of any 
kind. 

Render. —To run freely, as, for instance, a rope through a block. 

Ribs. —The timbers of a vessel. 

Ride. —A vessel at anchor is said to ride to her anchor. 

Riding light. —See chapter on “ Rule of the Road.” 

Right=hand rope. —Rope of which the strands are laid up clockwise. 

Round in. —To haul in on a rope. 

Round to. —To bring to the wind a vessel that has been running or 
reaching. 

Round turn. —To pass a rope twice round a cleat or belaying pin 
so that it makes a complete circle. 

Rowlock. —A crutch fitted in the gunwale of a rowing boat to take 
an oar. 

Rudder trunk. —The trunk in the counter of a vessel in which the 
rudder post is housed. 

Run. —To sail with the wind aft. 

Runners. —The stays and tackles used to support the mast when 
before the wind. 

Running rigging. —The gear used for setting the sails. 

Scandalize. —To scandalize the mainsail is to lower the peak until 
the gaff is at right angles to the mast and to trice up the tack. 
When the sail is laced to the boom, the boom is topped up 
instead of the tack being triced. 

Scantlings. —The dimensions of the wood used in the construction 
of a boat. 

Schooner. —A fore-and-aft rigged vessel with two or more masts 
carrying gaff sails. In a two-masted schooner the mainsail is 
set on the after or mainmast. 

Scope. —The length of cable by which a vessel rides. 

Screens. —The wooden boards attached to the rigging to which the 
sidelights are affixed. 

Scull. —One of a pair of small oars used for propelling a dinghy or 
other rowing boat. To scull is to propel a boat by means of one 
oar worked over the stern on much the same principle as a 
steamer’s propeller ; also termed “ wangling.” 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 179 

Scuppers. —Holes cut in the bulwarks to allow water to run off the 
decks. 

Sea, A. —A wave. 

Sea Mile— 6,080 feet. 

Seizing. —A method of securing two parts of ropes together, or a 
block in a grommet. 

Selvagee Strop. —See chapter on Knotting and Splicing.” 

Serve. —To cover a rope or strop with marline. 

Serving mallet. —The implement used for serving. 

Set. —To hoist a sail. 

Set flying . —Said of a sail that is not hanked to a stay. 

Set of the tide . —The direction of the tidal current. 

Set up, To . —To tauten up the rigging. 

Shackle. —A metal fitment in the shape of a U, or sometimes in the 
form of a Jew’s harp, with an eye in each extremity through 
which a screw bolt is fitted. Used for connecting gear. 

Shake out a reef. —To let out a reef that has been taken down. 

Shake, To. —To sail a vessel so close to the wind that the sails begin 
to lift or shake. This is often done purposely to enable the crew 
to take up the slack on some portion of the running gear. It is 
then termed “ giving her a shake-up.” 

Sharp=sterned. —A vessel with a canoe form of stern. 

Sheave. —The wheel in a block or sheave hole of a spar. 

Sheer. —The curve of a vessel’s deck in a fore-and-aft direction. 

Sheer, To. —To put over the helm of a vessel at anchor. This makes 
her move in a lateral direction from her anchor and thus tends 
to keep her from fouling it. 

Sheet. —A rope attached to the clew of a sail by which it is trimmed. 

Sheet home. —A sail is said to be sheeted home when the sheet is 
hauled in as taut as possible. 

Ship, To. —To take anything on board or to put anything into its 
proper place. 

Side Lights. —For particulars of the lights carried by yachts, see 
chapter on “ Rule of the Road.” 

Sight the anchor, To. —To heave on the cable until the anchor appears 
above water. 

Signal of distress. —The most common signal of distress is an ensign 
hoisted with the jack downwards. 

Sister=hooks. —Two hooks secured together with a thimble. Chiefly 
used on headsail halyards, both hooks being hooked into the 
cringle at the head of the sail and then moused for security. 

Skin. —The planking of a vessel. 


180 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Slack. —The reverse of taut: to slack up is to ease. 

Slack tide, or Slack water. —The short period at the turn of the tide 
when there is no perceptible current. 

Slant. —A favourable wind. 

Slip. —To let go a mooring or anchor chain when the latter is not 
weighed. 

Sloop. —A fore-and-aft rigged vessel like a cutter, but with only one 
headsail. 

Smack. —A fishing vessel. 

Snatch block. —A block with an opening in the side so that a rope 
can be inserted without reeving it. 

Soldier’s wind. —A wind that enables a vessel to lay her course 
without tacking. 

Sound. —The reverse of rotten. To sound is to ascertain the depth 
of water by means of the lead. 

Span. —A rope secured at both ends to a spar to which the halyard 
is made fast. 

Spars. —Poles used for setting the sails upon, such as the mast, 
bowsprit, boom, gaff, etc. 

Spider band. —An iron band round the mast carrying pins upon 
which the halyards are belayed. 

Spinnaker. —A large triangular sail reaching from the topmast head 
to the deck and extended at the foot by a light boom. It is set 
on the side opposite to that on which the vessel is carrying her 
mainsail when running before the wind. 

Spitfire jib . —The smallest or storm jib. 

Splice. —To join two ropes together by weaving together the un¬ 
twisted strands. 

Spoondrift, or Spindrift. —Spray blown from the tops of the seas. 

Spreader. —Another term for a crosstree. 

Spring. —A warp or hawser used for mooring a vessel to a pier or 
buoy. 

Spun yarn. —Thin twine used for serving or whipping a rope. 

Stand by. —A warning given to the crew preparatory to an order. 

Standing part. —The part of a rope that is permanently made fast 
and not hauled on. 

Standing rigging. —Rigging that is permanently secured, such as the 
shrouds. 

Starboard. —The right-hand side of a vessel when facing the bow. 

Start, To. —To move anything, or cause it to move. 

Starved. —A vessel is said to be starved when she is sailed too close 
to the wind. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


181 


Stay. To, —To tack or go about. 

Stays. —Ropes supporting the mast or other spars. A vessel is said 
to be in stays ” when she is in the process of going about 
from one tack to the other. 

Steerage way. —When a vessel moves sufficiently fast through the 
water to enable her to be steered. 

Stem. —The timber at the bow of the vessel into which the planks 
are butted. To stem the tide is to make way against it. 

Step . —The housing of the heel of the mast. 

Stern board. —A vessel is said to be making a stern board when she 
is going backwards stern first. 

Stern way. —When a vessel moves stern first. 

Stern post. —The timber at the after end of a vesesl to which the 
rudder is secured. 

Stern sheets. —The thwart at the after end of a rowing boat. 

Stiff. —A vessel is said to be stiff when she is not readily heeled. 

Stock. —The bar through the shank of an anchor set at right angles 
to the arms. 

Stops. —Rope yarns by which a sail is secured when rolled up in 
readiness for setting. See chapters on “ Getting under way.” 

Stow.- —To furl a sail; to put anything away in its place. 

Strake. —A length of a vessel’s planking. 

Strand. —Twisted yarns forming a part of a rope. 

Strop. —A ring of wire, iron, rope, etc., fitted round blocks or spars 
to hook tackles to. 

Swell. —Long heaving waves that do not break. 

Sweep. —A large oar. To sweep is to propel a vessel by means of a 
sweep. 

Swig, To . —To swig, or sweat, on a rope is to hold the fall of a halyard 
or tackle under a belaying pin whilst another man heaves on 
it with all his weight. As he comes back for another pull, the 
man holding the fall takes up the slack. 

Swivel hook. —A revolving hook on a block which prevents turns 
developing in the parts of a tackle. 

Tabling. —Strengthening pieces of canvas sewn on sails where they 
are roped. 

Tack. —The lower fore corner of a sail. To tack is to go about from 
one tack to another. A vessel is said to be on the port tack 
when the wind is blowing over her port side, and on the star¬ 
board tack when it is blowing over the starboard side. 


182 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Tackle (pronounced “ tay-kle ”).—A purchase made up of ropes and 
blocks to increase power. 

Tack tackle. —The tackle used for hauling down the tack of a sail. 

Taffrail. —The rail on the counter of a vessel. 

Tail block. —A block with a short length of rope stropped to it by 
which the block can be secured to a rope. 

Take in, To. —To hand or furl a sail. 

Take up. —A leaky vessel is said to “ take up ” when the planking 
swells and thus tends to stop the leaks. 

Taut. —Stretched tight. 

Tend. —To tend a sail is to watch it and trim the sheet if necessary. 

Thimble.—A metal ring, either round or heart-shaped, scored on the 
outside for a rope to rest in. Thimbles are inserted in eye 
splices and cringles of sails. 

Tholes. —Wooden pegs used in place of rowlocks in rowing boats. 

Throat. —The upper fore corner of a gaff sail: the hollow of the 
jaws of the gaff. 

Thumb cleat. —A triangular piece of wood screwed to a spar to pre¬ 
vent the halyard slipping. 

Thwarts. —The transverse seats of a rowing boat. 

Tiers. —Short lengths of rope or canvas used for securing a sail 
when it is furled. 

Tight .—The reverse of leaky. 

Tiller.— A wooden or metal bar fitted in the rudder head by which 

«/ 

the vessel is steered ; also called the helm. 

Timber hitch. —See chapter on “ Knotting and Splicing.” 

Timbers. —The ribs of a vessel. 

Topping lift . —The rope or tackle used for raising the boom. 

Topsail .—A sail set over the mainsail. 

Topside .—The part of the vessel out of the water ; also termed 
freeboard. 

Transom. —The transverse board on a vessel’s stern. 

Traveller. —A metal ring which travels on a spar to which a sail is 
attached, as, for instance, the jib traveller. 

Trough of the sea. —The hollow between two waves. 

Truck. —A wooden cap fitted on the top of the mast through which 
the signal halyards are rove. 

Trysail. —A small sail of stout material used in place of the mainsail 
in heavy weather. Sometimes it is set on a short stout gaff, 
and sometimes it is a thimble-headed sail. 

Turn. —A turn taken with a rope round a cleat or belaying pin to 
take the strain. 


GLOSSARY OF NAUTICAL TERMS 


183 


Turning to windward. —The same as beating to windward or tacking. 

Two=blocks. —A term used to denote that the blocks of a tackle are 
close together. 

Unbend. —The opposite of bend ; to cast loose a sail from its gear. 

Under canvas, or Under sail. —A vessel that is sailing is said to be 
under canvas or under sail. 

Under deck, or Under hatches. —Down below. 

Under run. —To under run a warp is to haul the dinghy along by 
pulling on the warp until the kedge is broken out. 

Under way. —A vessel is said to be under way when she is moving 
through the water ; often written in error “ under weigh.” 

Unmoor. —To unmoor a vessel is to get the kedge on board so that 
she rides only to her bower anchor. 

Unreeve. —To haul a rope out of a block, thimble or sheave. 

Unrig .—To dismantle. 

Unship. —To remove anything from its proper place. 

Vang. —A rope used to keep a gaff or sprit from sagging to leeward. 

Veer. —To pay out cable : the wind is said to veer when it changes 
its direction with the sun. 

Watch tackle. —A tackle composed of a double and a single block. 

Way .—The motion of a vessel through the water. 

Wear. —To wear a vessel is to put her about by gybing instead of 
by staying. 

Weather. —The windward side of anything; the reverse of leeward. 
To weather another craft is to pass her on her windward side. 

Weather helm. —The tendency of a vessel to come up into the wind 
is called weather helm, as it is necessary to keep the helm 
slightly to weather to counteract it. Most yachts are designed 
to carry a certain amount of weather helm, as a craft with lee 
helm is inclined to be dangerous. 

Weatherliness, or Weatherly. —A vessel is said to be weatherly when 
she is capable of sailing close to the wind. 

Weather=going tide. —A tide that sets against the wind. 

Well. —The open part of a boat in which the helmsman sits : also 
called the cockpit. 

Whip purchase. —A purchase composed of one single block. 

Whip, To. —To bind up the end of a rope with spun yarn to prevent 
the strands unlaying. 

Winch. —A mechanical appliance, composed of a drum, cogged wheel, 
pawl and operating handle, used for obtaining increased power 
for setting sails, etc. 


184 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Windlass. —A large winch used for breaking out the anchor. 

Work to windward, To. —To work to windward is to beat to wind¬ 
ward. 

Yacht. —A pleasure vessel that has living accommodation for her 
crew. 

Yard. —A spar to which a sail is bent. 

Yarn. —A part of the strand of a rope. Each strand is composed 
of a number of yarns twisted together. 

Yaw. —A vessel is said to yaw when she does not keep steady on her 
course, her head falling away first to one side and then to the 
other. 

Yawl. —A fore-and-aft vessel with two masts. The second mast is 
a small spar stepped in her counter abaft the rudder post. 


INDEX 


A. 

Accidents, 91 
Anchor stowage, 67 
Anchoring, methods of, 70, 71 
Anchors, 67 

Antifouling composition, 
applying, 154 

B. 

Ballast, cleaning, 149 
„ stowing, 152 
Barge yachts, 11, 12 
Bermudian rig, the, 15 
Bobstay, repairing a broken, 
94, 95 

Boom, repairing a broken, 96 
Boulay, Captain E. du, 120, 121, 
122 

Bowline, 157 

Bowsprit, repairing a broken, 96 
,, shroud, repairing a broken, 
94 

Brasswork, care of, 146, 149 
Bringing up, 67 et seq. 

Buoyancy tanks, 129 

C. 

Cabin, painting the, 152 
,, gear, stowing, 154 
Cable spring, 74 
„ weight of, 67, 68 
Clove hitch, 156 
Common bend, 158 
Compass and binnacle, 65, 66 
Converted racing yachts, 11 
Converted ships’ boats, 9, 10, 11 
Cutter rig, the, 13,14 


D. 

Decks, cleaning, 153 
Dinghy, the, 116 et seq. 

,, the, at anchor, 117, 118 
,, the Berthon, 119 
,, towing a, 116, 117 
,, bailing a sailing, 129 
,, centre-plate hoist, 130 
,, “ sitting up ” a, 129 

,, sail for, 128 
,, sailing, 125 et seq. 
Dismantling a yacht, 148 
Drogue, the, 60 
,, the Voss, 61 et seq. 

E. 

Eye splice, 159, 160 

F. 

Figure of eight knot, 157 
Fisherman’s bend, 158 
Fitting out, 147 et seq. 

Flemish knot, 157 
Fog signals, 114, 115 
Foreign cruising, 60 
Foresail, balloon, 47 
,, setting a, 23 

Forestay, repairing a broken, 95 
Furling gear, the Wykeham- 
Martin, 124 

G. 

Gaff, repairing a broken, 96 
Gale, riding out a, 68, 69 
Glossary of nautical terms, 165 
et seq. 


J85 




186 


SEAMANSHIP FOR YACHTSMEN 


Grommet, to make a, 160 
Ground, taking the, 103 
Gybing, 41, 42, 43, 44 

H. 

Half hitch, 156 
Halyards, coiling down, 20 
Handy Billy, 98 

Harbour master, jurisdiction of, 
104 

Harbours, artificial, 104 
,, natural, 105 
,, strange, 99 et seq. 

,, preparations for entering, 

100, 101, 102 

Headsails, roller, 120 et seq. 

,, setting, 22, 23 
,, setting in stops, 24 
Heaving to, 51, 54 

,, in heavy weather, 64 
Heavy weather, 48 et seq. 

J. 

Jib purchase, 56 
,, setting a, 22, 23 
,, setting a stotm, 55 
Jibs, shifting, 55, 56 

K. 

Kedge, laying out a, 73 
„ weighing a, 74, 75 
Ketch rig, the, 15 
Knotting and splicing, 155 et seq. 

L. 

Laying up, 147 et seq. 

„ „ under cover, 147 

„ „ in a mud berth, 147, 

148 

Lights, regulation, 64, 65 

„ regulations re, 112,113,114 
Lockers, cleaning, 145, 146 
Long splice, 160 
Luffing, 39 


M. 

Mainsail, setting a, 19 
,, reefing a, 25, 26 
,, scandalizing a, 33, 34 
Man overboard, 91, 92 
Mast, rigging a jury, 97 

,, scraping and varnishing 
the, 152 
Mooring, 72, 73 
,, rights, 78, 79 
Moorings, permanent, 76 et seq. 
,, picking up, 79, 80, 81 


Neaped yacht, refloating a, 89, 90 

0 . 

One-design classes, 132 

P. 

Paid hands, 2, 3, 4 

R. 

Races, club handicap, 132 
Racing, 131 et seq. 

„ tactics, 135 et seq. 
Reaching, 46, 47 
Reef knot, 156 
„ shaking out a, 53 
Reefing, 25, 26 
,, gears, patent, 52, 53 
,, under way, 51, 52 
Refloating a stranded yacht, 87, 
88, 89 

Repairs, temporary, 97, 98 
Riding light, hoisting the, 84, 85 
Rigs, 13, 14, 15 
Rigging, preservation of, 144 
Roller headsail, the du Boulav, 
120, 121, 122, 123,124 
Rolling hitch, 158 
Rope, parts of a, 155 
Rule of the road, 106 et seq. 






INDEX 


187 


Runner, repairing a broken, 93, 
94 

Running, 41, 46 

,, aground, 86 et seq. 

,, by the lee, 43 
,, gear, care of, 146 

,, ,, making new, 149,150 

„ „ reeving, 154 

S. 

Sail covers, 17, 18 
,, reducing, 55 
Sails, balance of, 54, 55 
,, care of, 142, 143, 144 
,, setting, 17 et seq. 

Sea anchor, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 
„ ,, the Yoss, 61 et seq. 

,, running before a heavy, 58, 
59 

,, steering in a heavy, 57, 58 
Seas, height and length of, 50 
Seamanship under way, 35 et seq. 
Seizing, passing a, 160, 161 
Selvagee strop, 162, 163 
“ Sentinel,” the, 69, 70 
Sheering, 71 
Sheet bend, 158 
Sheets, trimming, 35, 36, 37 
Short splice, 158, 159 
Shroud, repairing a broken, 93 
Sloop rig, the, 13 
Sounding, 86, 87 
Spar and rigging plan, 18 
Spars, scraping and varnishing, 
151 

Spinnaker, the, 44, 45 
,, setting the, 45, 46 
,, shifting the, 45, 46 
Square sail, the, 66 
Staying, 38, 39 
Stays, missing, 39, 40 


Steering, 35 et seq. 

Storm jib, setting a, 55 
Stowing away, 82 et seq. 

„ the mainsail, 82, 83 
,, headsails, 84 
“ Sweating ” on a rope, 19 

T. 

Tiller, the merrythought, 129 
,, yoke, 129 
Timber hitch, 157 
Topsail, jackyard, 22 
,, jib-headed, 22 
,, halyard bend, 158 
,, setting a, 20, 21 
Topsides, painting the, 153 
Turner reefing gear, the, 53 
Trysails, 59, 60 

V. 

Ventilation of cabin, 145 
Voss, Captain J. C., 61, 62, 63 

W. 

Way, getting under, 17 et seq. 
Wearing, 40 

Whipping a rope’s end, 162 
Woodnutt reefing gear, the, 53 
Wykeham-Martin, Mr. R. F., 120 
„ furling-gear, the, 124 

Y. 

Yacht in irons, 39 
Yacht, learning to sail a, 4, 5, 6 
„ selecting a, 8 et seq. 
Yachting as a sport, 1 
,, cost of, 3, 4 

Yachts, small cruising, 8 et seq. 

Yawl rig, the, 14, 15 

Y.R.A. classes, the, 132,133,134 


































